Beyond the Blue Sky
by AdeptusPhotomancer
Summary: There is more to the Fairy Tail Universe than was initially perceived. What happens when a group of Rogue Traders winds up on Earthland?
1. Magnolia Rises

A/N: Neither of us own or are affiliated with Warhammer 40K or Fairy Tail. They belong to Games Workshop and Hiro Mashima respectively.

Chapter 1_- _Magnolia Rises

_As the ashes fell to the ground, a pitch black curtain drifted down, concealing him from view. He too would have cried but too many tears had been shed already. He began walking through. Amidst the sea of night, he saw a isle of light. A single magnolia tree grew._

"I've never heard it that way."

"Wow Lucy. I thought you were smarter than that," Natsu Dragneel added. Natsu adjusted his white scaled scarf as he turned to stare at his friend. Standing at about six feet tall, he was very muscular and one of the more physically imposing members of Fairy Tail. Lucy was certain that he wore his vest without a shirt to drive in that point. Or it could just be that fire magic made it too warm to wear a shirt.

Lucy herself was wearing a pink top instead of her usual white and blue attire. It was one of her more modest outfits, without buttons, and it showed surprisingly little skin. One of her guildmates complained about it once. Once. A red ribbon tied her golden hair up on one side. Natsu had mentioned that he liked the color during his most recent home invasion. Apparently, he didn't notice, and it was irritating her. She had spent most of the morning subtly trying to point it out like an idiot.

"Shut it, Fire Eater. When was the last time you read anything?" Lucy turned back to the storyteller. "Keep going Levy. It was just getting good." The shorter girl grinned but before she could continue, the persistent pink haired pyromancer managed a retort.

"That's not true. Who picked out the last request for us and-ow ow Sorry!" Natsu was cut short by an abrupt grip on his ear.

"Quiet you two. The three of you are forbidden from speaking until the Master returns." Erza Scarlet's tone brought silence to the room. She had a menacing air about her, and the reflection of her scarlet hair upon her gleaming armor only helped to emphasize her attitude. Although she was a little bit less than an inch taller than Natsu, the difference seemed much more and gave her a broad, almost masculine appearance.

"What did I do?" Questioned Gray Fullbuster, who was seated at a nearby long table. Gray was shorter than Natsu, but only by an inch. His hair was just as spiky, but it was a less outlandish shade of black, which was better for him because he had other habits which made him noticeable.

"I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch that. Would you like to repeat yourself?" As Erza's stare fell upon the young man, he felt the blood in his veins run cold.

"No Ma'am." Gray's face had taken on the same color as the walls. Erza's demeanor never ceased to unnerve him.

Natsu snickered at his friend's discomfort. "When did you become such a suck up, eh?"

"You're one to talk," remarked Cana Alberona from a nearby table before taking a long swig of her ever-present drink. Although she had been at it since the morning, her face did not show the slightest flush through her tan complexion.

"Where is the Master anyway?" remarked Macao Conbolt from his usual spot at the bar. His blue hair was slicked back, and he was dressed in nicer clothes than his usual long coat. Mirajane Strauss, the ivory-haired bartender smiled and replied.

"Oh, he just went by the Bazaar to pick up some requests. He should be back soon." Lucy turned to the older women curious.

"I thought most people just brought their requests here."

"That's normally true but it can be difficult for people who aren't locals to get a hold of us." Erza explained. "So every month or so, people in need go to the Bazaar and various guilds can pick up and occasionally bid on the chance to help them with their problems. More interesting quests are often at a premium because the folks who submit them probably know that a lot of us are gunning for them. " At this explanation, Lucy just looked even more confused.

"So we pay for a chance to help them, and then they give us the reward?" Mirajane laughed.

"No, it's actually quite rare for guilds to put money down on jobs. Most of the time, we rely on reputation." At this Natsu grinned ear to ear.

"And Fairy Tail is the best guild around so we get all the best missions!" Just then the doors of the guild creaked open and a diminutive old man walked through, a sheaf of papers clutched in his hand.

"Well, well. It looks like everybody's waiting for me. So what sort of trouble did I miss?"

"Master! It's good to have you back. What kind of requests were available?" Asked the bartender. Makarov Dreyar, guildmaster of Fairy Tail beamed proudly.

"Oh you know, all sorts of good stuff. Found a few things for the young'uns to cut their teeth on, a few monster hunts here and there. Oh, and I almost forgot, investigating a fallen star out near Oak Town. Even better, it was the only copy so we're the only guild that can do it." Gray grinned.

"Nice work then. Wait, isn't Oak Town Phantom Lord's headquarters?" The back corner erupted in whispers.

"Phantom Lord? I heard that their Master is one of the Wizard Saints!" A winged blue cat flew down from the rafters smiling. Makarov nodded sagely.

"Jose Porla, he's one of the strongest darkness wizards in the world, an expert in his field really." Lucy felt a chill run down her spine.

"Wow, someone like that must be really strong."

"Yeah! But I bet I could take him!" shouted Natsu as he jumped up onto a table, flexing his arm. The pose and its audacity were cut short by the familiar clang of the flat of a blade hitting the dragon-slayer's head. Erza gripped the recently summoned blade and glared at the cat. Happy, the aforementioned cat, spun around in mid air.

"Oh yeah, kinda forgot why I was up in the rafter. Well, see you later!" As he gained altitude, Erza chased after him shouting.

"You get back here, you aren't off the hook either!" Erza hurled one of her swords at Happy, who barely managed to avoid it. The sword bounced off of the walls and on to the head of a large man entering the guild hall.

"Who threw this at me? Man up and face me!" A burly man with hair a shade darker than Mirajane stormed into the center of the bar, flipping two tables in the process. Elfman turned toward Gray. "It was you, wasn't it!? Man up and admit it!"

"Of course you blame the Ice mage for throwing a sword. How dumb can you be?" Gray retorted.  
"Just because he is naked doesn't mean he threw things at you," chimed a voice from above.

"There you are cat! Elfman, give me back my sword. I won't miss this time."  
"Yes Ma'am."

Makarov took in the chaos and began to rub his temple with his free hand.

"Mavis give me strength," he intoned quietly before raising his voice. "Alright, what exactly is going on here?" Erza stepped forward and inclined her head before speaking.

"Master, these three," she gestured towards Lucy, Gray and the indignant Natsu to emphasize her point, "were apprehended on Galuna Island in the middle of completing an S-class mission without proper oversight." Makarov listened intently and nodded when she was complete.

"You're forgetting something though," remarked Makarov. "You went ahead and completed the quest and, if I heard right, blew up the moon?" His voice took an incredulous edge. Natsu smiled proudly from behind Erza, and gave the guild master a look that spoke of the satisfaction in a job well done. In the meantime, Erza's eyes had glossed over and Natsu started laughing.

"Wait, Erza is in trouble too? This is great! I can't remember the last time this happened," eventually it became too much and Natsu was doubled over laughing at his friend's misfortune. Makarov meanwhile strolled over to the bar and climbed up onto a barstool.

"Indeed, and all three on you will have to work some kind of penance but that can wait for now. In the meantime, for those of you who aren't in trouble, who wants to get a look at the new requests?" The occupants of the guild hall surged towards their guild master, eager for the chance to work. Lucy smiled warmly at the antics of her comrades before glancing over at her friend, Levy McGarden who was busy collecting her stuff, mostly books, papers, inks and quills.

"Hey, you aren't going to get a job?" Levy smiled back.

"Oh, I will, that falling star sounds exciting enough, but first I need to run some errands." Levy replied as she closed the book she'd been reading from. It was an impressive tome, with a once glossy black cover and what looked like intricate gold leaf in ornate designs dancing across both covers and the spine. However, the book also looked like it had faced some wear and tear over the years. The covered had apparently lost its sheen a while back and pieces of the gold leaf were missing, especially on the back cover and spine. This book had a history.

"You know Levy," commented Makarov, who had strolled over after leaving the pile of requests at the bar with Mirajane, "that book looks familiar. What's its name?" Levy gave a small grin.

"It's called the Codex Vitae, I was able to buy it from a small second hand shop in a village not far from here." As she spoke, Lucy thought she saw a dark look pass across the guild master's face, but it was so brief and so sudden that she was certain that she'd imagined it. That or it had been a trick of the light, which she was given to believe since almost immediately, Makarov burst out laughing.

"Oh, now that's a classic. Some of my favorite stories are collected in that book. Do you mind if I borrow it sometime?" Levy chuckled.

"Sure just let my finish it first." Makarov laughed again.

"Alrighty, I'll keep you to that missy." The two laughed and Lucy smiled at their routine. Meanwhile, Mirajane was helping to top off Cana's most recent drink when the brunette spoke up.

"Hey, you know anything about that book?" Mirajane cocked her head to the side.

"What makes you ask?" Cana shrugged.

"I don't know why but Makarov got real serious just now when he was talking to the girls." Mirajane glanced over at her three guild mates and frowned. She resolved to talk about it with the guildmaster later. In the meantime, the others were laughing at Natsu's antics as he struggled to get past Erza to get a look at the new jobs.

"Come on," he pleaded. "If we don't find something quickly, all the good stuff will be gone." Erza glanced back at Natsu. There was no malice in this stare but Natsu's face paled all the same. "That assumes that you want a good quest. Good Quests are so overrated. Am I right, best buddy?"

"Yessiree my old chum," the ice mage replied enthusiastically.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your... intriguing camaraderie but I need to close the hall a bit early. Mirajane and I need to take inventory." The master turned toward Erza. "You can begin your punishment by escorting everyone from the guildhall for me."

"Certainly Master. I would-" Erza turned around. "Where did everyone go?" The entire guild hall had emptied more or less in the time it had taken for her to reply. "Wait, I need to give Lucy the key we got at Galuna island. I guess I'll see you tomorrow then master." Erza walked outside. Only Cana and Elfman were left near the hall. Cana was leaning on the iron railing. "I know a great bar to keep the party going. I despise inventory nights. Aren't they usually Wednesday though?"

Elfman crossed his arms. "I can't go drinking with you. I don't even want to think about what happened last time."

"I'm sorry. I wouldn't want to be too hard on you poor little kitten."

"Are you insulting my manliness?"

Erza chuckled as she passed them. No one would hear from Elfman again until at least tomorrow afternoon.

Spring had come early and the extra month of warmth had been very kind to Magnolia Town. Her eponymous blossoms were in full bloom, lining the streets in shades of red and white. Not that the extra color was necessary. The sound of people laughing carried across the canal from where Erza was standing. She could see Macao and his teammate Wakaba Mine walking with Wakaba's wife. Wakaba's daughter was skipping closely behind. Oddly enough, Macao's son, Romeo was not with them.

Erza approached Central Path. Magnolia's roads were wider than most cities in Fiore, and could accommodate at least two magic cars, but no other street outside of the capital, Crocus, could hold a candle to it. The instant that she turned, Kardia Cathedral came crashing into view. Its distinctive two towers topped the road like a crown. Sometimes, on a clear day, you would be able to see Hargeon Town and the ocean from the top of those towers.

Poking out slightly from a crowd of tourists was a familiar pink hairdo, which was briefly visible before disappearing into the church. Erza frowned. The cathedral was not one of Natsu's usual hangouts. He generally stayed clear of it after he was caught inside during a Gildarts Shift. He could never quite get over thinking of the cathedral like a car. She followed closely behind, making sure to stay out of sight. Requipping into a dull brown cloak resulted in Erza getting several odd looks, but Natsu did not notice her. Moreover, the new garbs made her inconspicuous, just another pilgrim just coming to pay her respects. They finally came to a stop at a vista atop of the western tower. He was busy talking to a young boy with black hair.

Romeo Conbolt was grinning from ear to ear. "So the moon really shattered? That is so awesome. Can I see your magic again?" Romeo's eyes widened as Natsu's hand burst into flames. "What's awesome is how your hand totally doesn't burn. Even if most people could make fire like you, they couldn't use it like you do."

Natsu let out a gentle laugh and showed Romeo his hand. "Not much gets past you does it? Feel my hand. Careful, it's hot."

Romeo slid his fingers across Natsu's palm and his jaw dropped. "Scales?" he asked incredulously. Natsu grinned in response. The late afternoon sun illuminated his almost feral fangs. "When I officially join, will you take me on an official quest? I'll learn fire magic and then you can eat it and you won't need to go hungry and"

"Sure. I'll be waiting. But for now, aren't you supposed to be meeting your Dad somewhere? I'll see you at the guild tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah." Romeo left.

"Natsu, are you ready?" Erza turned and noticed Happy flying in from the direction of the guildhall. The guild stood at the top of a hill, directly in front of Lake Sciliora.

"Where have you been?"

"Hiding in the rafters. But I think that the Demon Titania is-" Happy's fur seemed to lose color.

"Is everything ok Happy?" Natsu turned around and noticed Erza in the corner. Realizing that she had been noticed, she began to requip into her normal Heart Kreuz Armor. Erza closed her eyes and her body and outfit emitted a soft golden light. Her usual outfit was a seemingly normal plate chestpiece with the Fairy tail insignia inscribed with a cross over her left breast. When she opened her eyes, Natsu and Happy were nowhere to be seen.

Erza looked around the the church, but there was no sign of Natsu or Happy. Leaving the church, she noticed that the sun was beginning to set. The sky was turning a serene shade of yellow. _I can't delay any longer_. Erza took off towards Lucy's house.

Meanwhile, back at the guildhall, the two remaining members of the guild had abjured to the cavernous stockroom. Mirajane balanced a ledger on one arm and held a quill in the opposite hand. She followed a few steps behind Makarov as they made their way between the racks of food, drink and other guild necessity. Every so often, Makarov would comment on the current stock of an item and Mirajane would take note of it.

"Twelve bushels of barley," he stated as they passed a few boxes marked with the symbol of Dandelion Town. "Five cases of good old Clover Town whiskey," he continued before muttering "must remember to send a thank you note to Bob for those. Oh, did that shipment of lacrima come in from Joya yet?" Mirajane shook her head despite being behind the elder guildmaster.

"No master, I don't think its due for another week or so. Those scimitars that Erza requested from Bellum did arrive though." Makarov sighed heavily.

"Why do I have to keep reminding her to address such orders to her room in Fairy Hills?" Mirjane shrugged.

"I couldn't say sir. I have to ask though, why are we doing this a day early?" Makarov stopped and began kneading his temple with his hand. He turned back to the young woman.

"I needed to talk about some things. First tell me, did you notice Levy's new book?" Mirajane smiled down at Makarov.

"I did. She was telling us how she's been saving her money from requests for a few months." Makarov shook his head.

"No I mean do you know anything in particular about the book itself? What it's about or the like?" Mirajane paused and thought about it for a few moments before shaking her head.

"No sir, I don't" Makarov's brow furrowed slightly before he continued.

"The Codex Vitae is a controversial collection of short stories. Scholars debate on its actual age but it could have been penned as early 250 years ago, while others think it could have been written about X350." Mirajane tilted her head.

"Wow, that's 430 years old. So why would a collection of stories be so controversial?" As they spoke, Makarov pulled up a barrel of tar for the roof and sat on the well-sealed lid.

"Well, on the surface the stories as just fables, many of which are inscribed in other books. The problem is that the older editions of the text are also incredibly powerful magic tomes." Mirajane was shocked. The book had seemed to be ordinary to her, a bit extravagantly bound perhaps, but nothing too noticeable.

"What do you mean older editions?" Makarov grimaced.

"Well about a century ago, if I remember correctly, the Magical Council got a bit tired of the book causing so much trouble, so they banned it and began a continent wide hunt for any existing copies." Mirajane's eyes widen.

"Now that's something. So what happened?" Makarov scratched the back of his head as he recalled what he remembered of the history.

"Well if memory serves it was only the second time that the Magic Council had been that deliberate in the use of their power and a lot of wizards didn't appreciate their heavy-handed approach." Makarov gazed up at the dark ceiling, lost in thought. "People rebelled against the council and certain groups began to wage a subtle campaign against them."

"All over a book Master?" Makarov shook his head.

"The Vitae Debacle wasn't really over a book you understand. It was over the power that the Council wields. A hundred years ago, the Council was much more expansive and it was the only unified body to govern the use of magic. Magic users didn't agree with a single group declaring itself to be the ruling body of magic and fought back." Mirajane looked downcast.

"That's so sad. I didn't realize that people fought and like that, all over a book." Makarov shrugged.

"Well it wasn't all bad. The Magic Council eventually agreed to loosen its grip on magic-users by centralizing it's authority and consolidating their considerable military power into the modern Rune Knights. This in turn caused wizards began working in closer cohesion and the modern guild system was created as a result." Mirajane smiled.

"Wow, I never knew where guilds came from. I guess that's interesting, but what happened to the Codex Vitae?" Makarov slid down from the barrel and began walking through the aisle again before resuming.

"One of the conditions that ended the Debacle was that the original text be republished under Council oversight. The second edition of the Codex Vitae is just a mundane collection of tales." Mirajane thought for a moment before continuing.

"Wait a moment, so why are you worried about Levy's copy?" Makarov, whose face was unseen by Mirajane frowned.

"Not every copy of the original Codex was found. A few copies of the 'real' book continue to circulate to this day and they always bring trouble when they surface. The second editions are just rare books, intriguing but perfectly harmless." Mirajane nodded.

"And you're worried that Levy may have found one of the older editions aren't you." Makarov let out a breath. The young woman knew him too well by now, perhaps better than any of the other guild regulars.

"I am," he confirmed. "I didn't sense anything off about Levy's copy but from what I've heard, those who hid them, placed a number of advanced obfuscation enchantments on first editions of the book. So I can't be sure." Mirajane smiled warmly.

"Don't worry Master, I'm sure it will be alright." Makarov laughed.

"I'm sure it will. Now come along we have to finish inventory."

"Of course sir. Now where were we?" With that, the two continued their trek through the guild's stockroom. Makarov for his part was lost in thought. It wasn't that he had lied to Mirajane but he had not been entirely honest with her either. Levy's new book had seemed normal enough; he was fairly certain that if any abjurations were on it then he would've been able to detect them. But he had felt a sense of dread deep in his heart. Makarov had learned over his many years are as a wizard and a guild master to trust his intuition on matters like these. He only wished that he knew the origins of this new shadow that now seemed poised over his guild.

Lucy's house was far away from the hustle and bustle of the Fairy Tail guild hall, but that was how she liked it. The neighborhood had a calm that you could only find in a larger city; a paradoxically pleasant loneliness that seemed like a fable up until recently. Lucy sighed, and her hands drifted down to a keyring by her waist. She liked to run her hands through her Gate Keys when she felt nervous. Several steps behind her walked a... Lucy wasn't really sure. Technically Canis Minor is a dog but Lucy had never quite figured out what Plue was. He walked upright, his fur was pure white, and his nose looked like it might be some sort of drill, however Lucy had never seen it used that way. She liked to imagine that Plue had some sort of hidden magic that could defeat even Natsu if unlocked. She needed some way to get revenge on him for always using her room. Lucy walked up the stairs to her apartment. She had wasted the last months rent on a new lock and key, so she could finally have her privacy back. Smiling she opened her door.

"Here's a copy for you Natsu." Gray handed Natsu an ice sculpture that looked suspiciously like the key to her room. "And here's one for you," he continued, while handing a copy to the red-headed woman lounging in her favorite chair (to be fair it was her only chair) and sipping tea, which was impressive as Lucy didn't keep the ingredients for such a brew around. When she noticed the blonde, Erza put down her cup and smiled.

"Well, it certainly took you long enough to get here." Lucy feeling slightly embarrassed shuffled her feet and look at the floor.

"I took the scenic route," she began before the realization set in and anger flared within the young lady. "Hey! I don't have to explain anything to you, so what are _you_ doing in _my_ house!" Natsu, who was crouching on the desk grinned back at her.

"Master said something about shacking up together. I'm calling Lucy's be-" Before he could finish the blonde was shouting again.

"Whoah, whoah, Master said what?!" Lucy's pale complexion had taken a shade more similar to Natsu's hair. Gray held up his hand to calm the infuriated young wizard.

"It's nothing like that alright," Lucy unclenched her fists and looked at her teammate. "Makarov is worried that there might be some repercussions to taking that job near Oak Town." Lucy tilted her head in thought.

"The one about the falling star? I think Levy wanted to take a crack at that one. Why is posting that job dangerous though?" Erza continued to sip her tea before speaking.

"Because it makes Phantom Lord look weak," she said matter of factly. "And furthermore, Porla and his cronies might want to take it out on us. It's only right that we stay together until any threat of danger has passed." Lucy sat down on the edge of her bed, a sense of fear coursing through her.

"Wow, I didn't know guilds could be like that," Natsu, in response laughed and showed his teeth.

"Well let them come. I think we could take 'em." Happy, who was digging through Lucy's closet, laughed.

"I'm sure you could but what about Lucy?"

"Stupid Cat. Say that once more to my face." Gray sighed. This was going to be a long night.

The sun was just poking over the mountains east of Magnolia when Lucy left her house. She barely got more than a few hours of sleep. Premier Park was close to her house, and it was one of her favorite places to clear her mind. In the distance, she saw three new shadows on the parks ancient magnolia tree. Lucy knuckled sleep out of her eyes and looked at the tree again. There were three figures, pinned to the tree with metal stakes. The figure in the middle was Levy. Lucy Screamed.

**Hello everyone and welcome to the authors' notes of Beyond the Blue Sky.**

**I'm Photomancy. I'm in charge of the Fairy Tail part of this endeavor.**

_And you can call me AdeptusAdvocate, the resident Warhammer expert._

_Most of this chapter was Photo's work (I just perked it up a bit) but next chapter, you'll get to see what I'm bringing to the table. I'll give this much away: It ain't no space marines just yet. That'd be predictable...here at AdeptusPhotomancy industries we don't do predictable._

**We shall be your guides through this amazing, beautiful world, spun from the amazing creative potential that Adeptus and I have ... **based off of Games Workshop and Hiro Mashimathat we do not own**. But enough of that. I wanted to mention a couple of things regarding Cannon.**

_1. Not that kind of cannon (I hope). Only one n._

_2._**1. Hey don't be like that.**

_3. You owe me ten bucks, I can get in on any list that you're making. But whatever, it's boring now. Imma go write some grimdark stuff._

**Cool. You do that. Now that he's gone.**

**1. Fairy Tail is an evolving world** _(i.e. it plays fast and loose with canon)_. **I realize that canon is growing and changing, but I have no intention of resolving differences from what Mashima decides to add.** _(The rules are a bit different with WH40K since I'll be trying to stick closer to the nearly 25 years of canon. My approach will necessitate the use of mostly OC's though. Sorry but High Marshal Helbrecht probably won't be making an appearance alongside his new bestie, Ibram Gaunt [as an example])_** (But we did say that we will not be predictable. hehehe...)**

**2. I know that your favorite/least favorite character has not joined/ been introduced/ been developed/ died yet. We will get to that. I promise.** _(Especially the killing, this is Warhammer 40K we're talking about.)_

**3. Yes, I know that Levy was crucified the day after the Guild Hall was destroyed. We changed that. Because this is FANFICTION. Actually, that will have been explained if you were paying attention. Do not expect things to happen as they did in the Manga or Anime or whatever because the course of history has already begun to change. MUAHAHAHAHAHA.**

**4. Do not talk about Edolas.** _(We have some ideas but nothing is set in stone. That will be decided in the Idea Hole [the Idea Hole is where we go to decide the fate of our conflicting ideas. Only the strong survive in the Idea Hole!])_

**Follow these rules and we will get along just fine.**

**Well I'm signing off now too. I need to stare at flashy fighting scenes for a while**.

_Alright, I have to go read about epic conflicts in the far future, fought by Space-Vikings, Space-Knights, Space-Vampires and Space-Mongols. Among Space-Others. Seeya!_

**Talk to you next update.**


	2. Ambition

Date: 304.993.M41

Location: Unknown Planet in Warp Storm Adjacent to the Koronus Expanse

The first thing that Oberon felt as he regained consciousness was a sense of vertigo, not entirely unexpected as he had been in the void for the past three months and one just became used to the feeling of constant, subtle movement. He slowly opened his eyes, feeling aches across his body. After adjusting his neck, he decided that he was basically unharmed. The harness had kept him in his seat safely enough, though it had also caused the worst of his damage as he was pretty sure that bruises were beginning to form across his chest. _Oh well_, he mused, as he let himself adjust to the feeling of stillness, _bruised is better than broken_. He glanced over at the seat next to him and was relieved to see his bodyguard Nicodemus unbuckling himself from his harness. Without breaking concentration he spoke to Oberon.

"Good to see you're still alive sir," he said with his usual gruff voice.

"The feeling is mutual Nic, how many others are there?" The older man looked up, having unbuckled himself from the seat.

"Well, its you, Archimedes, Edric, Moira and myself." Oberon nodded.

"I'm aware of who made it into the Aquila, I was wondering if any of the Arvus lighters made it out of the bay." A somber look passed across the bodyguards' broad face and he sighed.

"Sorry milord, I don't believe any other craft made it out of the _Light_. And even if they did, the Warp Storm probably tore 'em to shreds. It's by the Emperor's Mercy that we made it here," he said quietly before making a sign of thanks with his free hand. Meanwhile, Oberon had managed to detach himself from the seat and looked around.

"Yes, I'll be sure to say my prayers tonight," came a reedy voice from further in the wrecked compartment. The owner of the voice, a slight man with not a hair on his head, stepped forward. He was wearing humble robes of deep green tied with a yellow belt. Oberon smiled.

"It's good to see you made it out alive Archimedes. Should I assume the others are alive as well?" In answer, a voice crackled over the intercom.

"As alive as we can expect milord. It's a shame that the same can't be said for the lander though. The thing's wrecked. We have very little power left, the forward bolter is crumbled and the machine spirit is…rather non-existent."

"We give thanks then, for its sacrifice." The most recent voice also came from the cockpit and bore a metallic edge to it, but for a different reason, which became apparent as the door separating the two spaces opened. A figure, wearing a deep crimson robe appeared and stared at Oberon, his left eye glowing red. "It certainly doesn't help though that we lost a wing on entry." Oberon nodded as he stood up and flexed his sore muscles.

"Edric, is there anything you can do for the low power reserves?" The crimson garbed figure shook his head.

"I can't say that there is. My reserves couldn't replace what we have lost without significant effort." His speech was occasionally broken up by a slight buzzing noise.

"Well then, how about yourself, is any of you broken?" Again Edric shook his head.

"No, my implants are all undamaged and my harness is in intact." Archimedes, who had been helping Nicodemus to recover anything of use from the cabin, also spoke up.

"It appears to be the same for myself. My implants seem to be functioning normally as well," he pointed to the pieces of metal upon the side of his head, wired directly into his skull. Archimedes chuckled. "Good thing I didn't hit my head huh? If I did, who knows what would pop out?" Oberon frowned at the poor joke but nodded in confirmation.

"Okay, good to know. I want you to see if you can detect anything in particular about the Warp in the area." Archimedes gave him the look that a teacher would give a student who'd just firmly stuck his foot in his mouth.

"Anything in particular? Oberon, we were caught in a Warp Storm, and odds are that this planet isn't faring any better." Oberon sighed in exasperation, which got Archimedes to laugh again.

"Don't worry milord, I'll keep an open mind so to speak. I'm not sure what to expect out there but I'll be sure to let you know." As Oberon was about to reply, the last member of the group joined the others in the cabin. She was a young woman, shorter than Oberon but taller than both Edric and Archimedes, with brown hair held in a tail, and green eyes. When she spoke, she directed it at Oberon, who was making sure that the pack under his seat was still in order.

"Milord, what does our supply situation look like?" Oberon grinned to himself as he re-sealed his pack, the contents would have to do for now. He turned to face Moira.

"Well now, isn't it the seneschal's job to keep the trader informed? Maybe we have our casting sheets confused?" Moira glared up at him.

"My sincerest apologies Lord Albrecht, but I've been busy the past few minutes making sure that despite coming to a complete and total stop, we won't explode in the near future." Oberon gave a slight smile. At least Moira's humor had survived unscathed.

"So will we?" Moira shook her head.

"Don't worry, there's still just enough power for the warning signals to work. Either the promethium tank didn't burst or their isn't enough left to worry about it lighting off." Oberon, who at this point had begun to move about the cabin with the other two men, checking for tools or, more importantly, weapons, sighed in relief.

"Well that's one less thing to worry about I suppose. What was the standard payload on this thing again?" Moira paused for a moment as she helped Nicodemus take down a large bundle from the rack.

"Well," she began, tapping her index finger to her lip, as was her habit. "An Aquila Lander usually has a few things stashed away." She grinned as she unwrapped the package. "And here is one of them now," she said proudly, presenting its contents to Oberon. In the young woman's hands was a chainsword, a weapon consisting of a chain of razor-edged teeth contained within a meter-long hard metal and plastic shell, finished with a guarded hilt. The young lord grinned.

"Well, well this is quite the surprise. I wasn't aware my father stocked these on board the Aquilas." Moira grinned.

"I believe his reasoning is that the weapon can be used to hack through foliage more effectively than a regular sword or axe." Nicodemus snorted.

"There's plenty more uses for a chainsword then clearing brush. Besides, give me a good old flamer for that job any day. That's how we did it back home, and I like to think that Catachan is an authority on deforestation." Archimedes rejoined the group, having gathered a few things, mostly rations and canteens. As he spoke, he passed his findings around.

"Yes, Nic we've all heard it before. The jungles are so thick you can't walk through them, the ants kill you as fast as anything and you burn it all every day. You need some new stories my friend." Nicodemus laughed and smacked the smaller man on the back.

"Yeah? Well who knows? Maybe there's some new stories right outside." Oberon allowed himself to grin as he watched his comrades. They had just survived the destruction of their ship and had barely made it to this planet alive. _At least morale is good,_ he thought to himself. _I was worried that I'd to have to set the example._ His thoughts were interrupted by Edric who approached and gave a slight nod before speaking.

"My lord, I have been able to coerce a slim response from the auto-lock. We should be able to leave now as soon as you see fit." Oberon nodded his thanks.

"Alright, milady and gentlemen. We're about to take our first steps into a potentially dangerous new world. How prepared are we?" Nicodemus slung a large pack over his shoulder and sheathed an impressive looking blade in his belt.

"We have a couple of las rifles," he hefted one of the weapons before adding "well, las carbines anyway, and milord's bolt pistol for ranged weaponry." In response, Oberon patted the sizable weapon in its holster. _I have two clips,_ he reminded himself, _16 shots_. Moira grinned.

"Don't forget my stubber," she replied, while simultaneously drawing and spinning the revolver around her finger. She then nimbly returned it to the holster on her hip. Nicodemus made a show of apologizing.

"A thousand pardons madam, I should have known better. Anyway, for up close and personal altercations we have access to the lord's chainsword," he indicated the weapon now slung across Oberon's back, "assuming he shall be using it himself. We also have my good old vine cutter," he gestured to the basket-hilted blade sheathed on his belt, "a few melta charges and Archimedes' walking stick for what it's worth." Oberon nodded.

"You're forgetting my dagger," he gestured to the much smaller blade sheathed across his stomach. Edric also spoke up.

"In addition, my implants allow me a measure of self-defense should the need arise." Nicodemus nodded and turned back to Oberon who continued.

"Alright, it sounds like we shouldn't have any trouble defending ourselves. Archimedes what did you find?" Archimedes unslung his sack and peered inside.

"We have about a week's worth of rations to go around, so we won't go hungry immediately, but unfortunately I was only able to scavenge together the equivalent of about two medical kits at most." Nicodemus grimaced.

"Which means we may be dependent on your abilities. No offense Arc." Archimedes sighed in reply.

"No need to apologize," he said. "It's risky tapping into the Warp on a world surround by it on all sides. But if I'm needed to mend ills then I will." Edric stepped forward at this.

"If it helps, I've had above average training as a medicae for one of my order." Archimedes looked a little surprised.

"Really now? That could come in handy. Just tell me exactly where and what the problem is and I shouldn't need to tap into the Warp to fix it." Moira turned to Edric.

"I wasn't aware medicae studies were part of Mechanicus canon." Edric nodded.

"Oh yes," he confirmed "the human body is a fragile machine without the blessing that myself and my associates are afforded. Certain steps will obviously have to be taken to make sure that it doesn't fall into…disrepair." Oberon placed a hand on the cloaked young man's shoulder.

"Then you and Archimedes will have to work together to make sure that we stay in working order." Behind his respirator Edric smiled, not that the others could see it. Following this, Moira cleared her throat.

"Finally, I am curious as to what we have in terms of protection." Nicodemus grinned and thumped the scarred breastplate that he wore.

"I've got my good old Imperial Guard flak armor. This old thing hasn't failed me yet." Oberon gestured towards what looked like a thick vest over his tunic and a dark blue cloak about his shoulders.

"Both my vest and the cloak are made from a special material that my brother acquired from xeno traders. It should be enough to stop anything short of a bolter round. Archimedes and Edric are wearing something similar." The psyker nodded.

"Ours should be just a bit thicker though, if I'm not mistaken." Moira grinned in response.

"The same goes for my combat cloak," she indicated the garb, this one a combination of greens and browns in color. Oberon exhaled in relief and managed a slim grin.

"Very well. I don't know what's on the other side of that door but I'm glad to be facing it with you. Edric, if you would." The tech priest nodded in affirmation and shuffled over to the door. Instead of entering a code on the nearby keypad, he knelt next to the console and seemed to whisper a few words to it. For those who could here, the language was similar to High Gothic but drastically different in tone, inflection and for all they knew, meaning. Soon enough, the door jerked a bit and creaked open. Almost immediately, bright light shined into the dingy compartment and all inside groaned as they shielded their eyes. However, they all slowly moved forward, and out the door.

The first thing Oberon noticed was how verdant the land was. Crisp green grass beneath his feet, trees in full bloom all around and a sky of the clearest blue that he had ever seen.

"It takes the breath away doesn't it?" murmured Moria from by his side. From the tone of her voice, she was as awestruck as her employer. Behind them, Archimedes took in a deep breath and exhaled deeply before speaking.

"On the contrary, I haven't breathed air this fresh since my childhood back home." Nicodemus, who was following close by, copied his friend's action.

"I haven't breathed air this good ever." After that, Nicodemus stepped out and was glancing around the wreck, making sure the group wouldn't be accosted immediately after disembarking. Oberon, for his part, stepped back and muttered to Archimedes.

"This is a trick of the Warp right? We've fallen into some kind of illusion haven't we." Archimedes closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head.

"No, we aren't. In fact, I can barely feel the Warp as is. It's almost as if this world were just like any other, sitting pretty in the middle of the Expanse." Oberon nodded slowly.

"But it clearly isn't. This place is in the middle of a Warp storm. How could it remain unaffected like this?" Archimedes shook his head again. There was a sun shining down and clouds dotted the azure sky. It seemed, and apparently was, perfectly normal.

"I don't rightly know my lord, but the Warp is Chaos Unfettered and we both know..."

"That the works of Chaos are a mystery to all but itself. Yes, I remember your lessons." Archimedes smiled.

"Then I taught you well," he said. "But the question remains. Where exactly are we?" Oberon looked around. They had crashed on some kind of mesa. The Aquila had gouged a trench into the Earth for about 10 meters before embedding itself in a hill side. Edric had climbed the hill and was gazing at the surrounding lands from his new perch. The others trudged up to join him. By the time that they reached him, he had finished his sweep of the surroundings and spoke up.

"There appears to be a settlement to the East of here. It's at least fifty kilometers away, and," he cleared his throat as if biting back some compulsion "and it appears to be of the quality and design of a world classified as "feudal," by the Administratum." Nicodemus surveyed the fortress town, which was far off but still somewhat visible without aid. It seemed to rise out of the forest around it, a symbol of strength and power.

"I probably don't have as good vision as you enginseer, but I think you're right. I've besieged enough castles to know one when I see it." The tech priest nodded.

"Indeed. However, I also notice that, given the single entrance to the town, the local road system is also incredibly primitive." Oberon gazed at the subject of the conversation for a moment before pulling a small object out from his cloak. It was a slim monocular, plated in silver and etched with prayers and wards. He looked through the lens for a moment before pocketing the looking glass and speaking.

"Very well then. A castle is a settlement and a settlement means civilization. I pray that whatever xenos inhabit this planet are hospitable." Moira seemed to shiver a bit but nodded her agreement.

"I just hope they don't kill us outright." Archimedes sniffed and nodded.

"Agreed. I think that's a sentiment that we all share," he said. The older man leaned upon his staff as he gazed out at the surroundings. "Still, regardless of the inhabitants, this planet is quite the catch, for any explorer." Oberon felt a jolt run down his spine. It hadn't occurred to him until just now but Archimedes was right. He didn't possess his father's Warrant of Trade, this was true, but he had the authority as a member of his house to act in his stead.

"Moira," he began slowly, as the group began to descend the hill. "What are the restrictions concerning the rights of a Rogue Trader's advance force?" Moira paused in her tracks and gave a backward glance at Oberon.

"What do you mean?" Oberon's eyes narrowed.

"I mean that if we have to present ourselves to some authority, what sort of rights do I have and what can't I say?" Moira began tapping her finger to her lip as they continue walking side by side.

"Let me see," she continued as they reached the bottom of the hill. As they conferred, the others began to discuss dealing with the wreckage. "An advance force must be lead by an individual appointed by the lord, in this case, it would obviously be you. According to tradition, you speak with his voice but..."

"I can't make promises I can't keep or take actions that would be detrimental to the house, right?" Moira nodded.

"It's a fine line that you walk. It can be treacherous being the leader of an advance force. Hence why most owners of Warrants lead from the front, to do otherwise would be foolish." Oberon grimaced. She was right, as his father's second son, he walked along a precarious edge. Amongst the servants of House Albrecht his word was as good as his father's, but outside of that system...well, he wasn't much more than the wealthy son of a notable merchant.

For the moment, the group seemed to be sticking close to the wreck. Moreover, it was decided that it would be best to deal with the wreck now, rather than then having to deal with it later.

"So thoughts?" inquired Oberon as he and his companions stared at the remains of their last link to the _Dawn's Light_.

"I say we detonate it," stated Moira in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I agree," concurred Oberon. "Nic, could you please take care of that? I trust your judgement in this matter." The large man nodded once.

"Of course my Lord," he answered, his tone curt. As he unslung his bag and took off with one of the melta charges in hand, Edric stepped forward.

"It's not that I don't trust your skill with explosives, but would you mind if I were allowed to perform a Rite of Decommissioning beforehand? It only seems fair to do so for a craft that sacrificed itself for us to live." Oberon frowned.

"I don't believe I'm familiar with that practice." Edric shrugged.

"It's a small ritual to honor machines that have served their purpose." Oberon smiled and nodded.

"Of course, I don't see any problem with that. Don't take long with it though." The robed young man seemed to smile though it was hard to tell by looking at his hood.

"Thank you, I don't have all of the proper materials, but my data slate should be enough for a quickly improvised version of the rite." The tech priest bowed slightly and trotted off to help Nicodemus, who was busy inspecting the hull, presumably looking for the best place to set the charge. As the others watched, Archimedes spoke up quietly.

"They aren't the only ones who sacrificed themselves you know." Oberon exhaled the breath he'd been holding and spoke in a similar tone.

"I know Arc, but you said the Astropath got a message out, right?" The smaller man nodded.

"Indeed, even though it killed poor Iver to do so." Moira grimaced.

"So what are our odds of us getting found?" Oberon shook his head.

" I couldn't say Moira. But I'd wager a Calixian throne that if my father doesn't dedicate himself wholly to our rescue then my brother will." For a moment, his mind was filled with thoughts of his father and brother before it came to a rest, on failure. _They're dead by my hand,_ the thought flowed through mind. _The blood of every voidsman on the _Light _is on my conscience._ Oberon felt his gaze drift between his comrades. Moira and Archimedes were discussing their next course of action, while Edric had finished his rites and was busy aiding Nic in attaching the charge to what remained of the Aquila. _For all I know, I've doomed them as well. _He noticed that the others had rejoined them as Nic gestured for them to pull back further down the hill, to protect themselves from the forthcoming blast. He hurried to join them and once they were behind a ridge a good distance away, Nic held up the detonator and, after making a show of counting down with his open hand, pressed the trigger.

The air was filled briefly with the distinctive hissing noise of metla weaponry before being replaced with the equally distinct roar of the bomb's explosion. Nicodemus chuckled.

"Well now," he remarked, as he brushed dust off of his breastplate. "What next?" Oberon was suddenly aware that the others were looking at him.

_You are their lord_, he reminded himself. _For whatever reason, they look to you for guidance._ He found his thoughts echoing the lessons that his father had taught him. "Right," he said after a moment. "First we make sure that the bomb didn't set the hilltop on fire." Edric nodded.

"Right, Nicodemus and myself set the charges such that their should be little effect on the surroundings, but it we should be certain." He stood up, Nicodemus and Moira following him. This left Oberon and Archimedes who stood himself and was busy brushing the dirt off of his robe. Once he was finished, he gave Oberon a look.

"How're you feeling son?" he asked in a tone that he hadn't used in years. It was the tone of a mentor asking a question of a student that he knew to be struggling. Archimedes was a psyker in service to the Inquisition and he had a lived a lifetime of reading others, in more ways than one. Oberon knew it would be futile to dodge the question.

"There's five of us Arc," he said. "Of thousands, we made it out. How should I feel?" Archimedes nodded sagely before speaking.

"I understand your worry. The others sacrificed themselves for us, in their own ways. Iver sent out that last message, Edric's servitors braced the hanger doors, and the others..." he drifted off for a moment before recollecting himself. "Either way, dwelling on it won't bring them back. For now we look to the future." Oberon managed a small grin.

"Of course. But do you think we did the right thing? Destroying the wreck? Could we have repaired it?" With surprising speed, the older man swept his walking stick out and struck Oberon in the side. It wasn't hard but the blow still stung.

"No," the psyker said at once. "You're questioning yourself already. Your father taught you better than that and the Emperor knows that if he didn't then I did. Now, what did I teach you?" Oberon sighed.

"The indecisive mind is more dangerous than the foolish one," he recited from memory. The old man smiled at his former pupil.

"Exactly, but as for your question? Yes, I think you made the right decision, and for more reasons than what the others may tell you." The young man raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? And why is that?" The older man stared at his lord with dark green eyes.

"Because it shows resolve," he stated. "Whether or not we could have repaired it, the Aquila was our only known path off of this rock until help arrives." Oberon found it strange that Archimedes had chosen to say 'until,' perhaps he was trying to instill some hope into the young man. "By destroying that link," he continued. "You've shown that we are focusing on the road in front of us with no regrets."

"Right, I see you're point," as he spoke, he noticed the others were coming back down the hill now, looking none the worse for wear, thankfully. "Thank you Archimedes." The other man shrugged and smiled back at Oberon.

"Anytime milord. Just let me know if I need to thwack some more sense into you." Oberon rubbed his side.

"I'll keep that in mind," he said. And with that the others were back. Moira was the first to speak.

"Well it seems that Nicodemus' demolition skills were spot on. We have successfully destroyed the lander without enacting an exterminatus on the surrounding wildlife." Oberon laughed.

"Impressive. Nic, you're a credit to your regiment." Oberon could've sworn that he saw his bodyguard blush at the compliment. Perhaps it was a trick of the light. Archimedes cleared his throat.

"Ah hem," he said to get the group's attention. "Now that the lander is slag, milord what are your orders?" As he asked the question, he gave Oberon a knowing look, which gave Oberon a slight boost in confidence.

"Right. We know that there's a settlement a few clicks from here. I think we should climb down this hill until we find some kind of path, and then follow it east, that should eventually bring us to the town. If we run into locals of any kind before that, even better." Edric nodded.

"Sounds sensible," he confirmed. Moira grinned.

"I'm behind you sir, lead the way." Finally, Nicodemus nodded his agreement.

"I promised your father, your brother and Bermar that I'd see you home safely. I'll follow where you lead." Archimedes for his part, simply nodded at Oberon. He'd done well.

"Right," he said. "Let's go." They found their way down from the hillside easily enough. The road before them was dirt with a pair of furrows cut into it, indicating the use of carts. Edric was apparently fascinated by any signs of technology, primitive or otherwise, but apart from that, they mostly walked in silence. The sun only lingered in the sky for what felt like a few hours. In that time, the surroundings changed from mostly rocks and low-lying scrub life into a forest of what appeared to be mostly oaks and pines.

"It's fascinating," commented Edric. "These trees are incredibly similar to some of the varieties that I've seen on other underdeveloped planets." As he looked around, Oberon felt inclined to agree. There was a familiarity about their surrounds that was simultaneously reassuring and off putting. No matter which way he spun it, he couldn't understand how a world trapped in one of the two largest Warp Storms of the Koronus Expanse, the twin of the infamous Screaming Vortex, could seem so...idyllic. Eventually, they found a stream and after taking a few tentative sips, Nicodemus confirmed that it was apparently safe to drink. Like everything else on the world, the water seemed perfect, untainted.

"When you've seen as much action as I have," Nic commented as he took a long swig from his canteen. "Then you have probably tasted enough poisons to tell if a stream will kill you and I think we can assume that this is safe to drink" The others nodded and drank their fill. To Oberon's memory, it was one of a best drinks that he'd ever had. Satisfied for the moment, he relaxed and stretched out his sore muscles, his back against a tree. Looking up, he was surprised to see that the sun had begun to set. The sky was turning to a golden yellow in color overhead.

"Perhaps we should settle up here for the night," he commented after a short time. Moira looked up from her canteen and frowned slightly while she thought.

"I agree. It's getting dark and we don't know how far we have to go yet." Archimedes yawned and leaned back against the oak he was resting against.

'Indeed, this spot seems suitable for what we need." The others nodded as Archimedes began to open his sack. Rations were passed around and as the group gnawed at hard tack and preserved proteins, and drank cold recaf. As they did so, discussion turned to survival. It was agreed that everyone would take a shift on watch and while Oberon volunteered for the first watch, he was given the last. As Edric and Nic took up positions with the carbines, Oberon found himself falling asleep, his cloak wrapped around him for warmth. He dreamed.

Oberon found himself on some kind of platform, surrounded on all sides by inky darkness. From his vantage point he couldn't see much, but he could still hear clearly. Tentatively, he shouted something into the darkness. In response, a cacophony of voices answered him.

"Ambition," the voices said as one. "Ambition knows no bounds, Oberon Albrecht." The statement was familiar. His father had called it the Unspoken Law, an axiom by which most Rogue Traders plied their trade. It was often a justification before anything else. Again the voices spoke, this time with different inflections, and tones.

"Honor," they intoned, "is the truest measure of a man." Again, this was an axiom that he'd learned, this time from Archimedes during his lessons from the Imperial Creed. "No matter what else we have in this world," continued the voices "we cling to honor." Again, the voices spoke, this time though, they held an edge, as if screeching at him.

"Cowards die in shame," they called at him, quoting another piece of the Imperial Creed. It was as if the voices were mocking him. Oberon shouted back at them, that he wouldn't be a coward, but before any more could happen, he stumbled into wakefulness. He looked up to find Moira smiling down at him, apparently having just prodded him in the side with her boot.

"Morning," she greeted him, "it's our turn to take watch." Yawning, Oberon stood up and stretched his aching muscles. He took the carbine from a grateful Archimedes who returned to his spot and was asleep surprisingly quickly. Oberon leaned his back against a tree and kept his eyes open for anything.

"Did they see anything?" Moira shook her head.

"Nothing dangerous enough to warrant waking us I suppose." She gave him a look. "Are you doing okay?" Oberon shrugged.

"Didn't get much sleep I suppose." Moira exhaled and nodded.

"Same on my end. So, any thoughts about this world?" Oberon looked around. The sky still seemed normal, with hundreds of stars in the sky and a moon shining down. It was still night but given the moon's position he was hopeful that it wouldn't be for long. Without breaking his gaze, he spoke.

"It's almost too perfect. I'm worried about any inhabitants but if Edric's assessment is right then we shouldn't have any problems." Moira raised an eyebrow.

"With what?" Oberon shrugged.

"That all depends on the inhabitants obviously. If they're hostile then we remove them from the picture. If they're willing to be diplomatic then we negotiate."

"Why are you so keen on this planet all of a sudden?" Oberon sighed and looked at the ground.

"I happened to stumble on what's apparently a hidden gem of the Expanse and it took the deaths of the entire crew of the _Dawn's Light_ to get me here. I'll be damned if I don't make something of it." Moira's stare bored into him.

"And at the moment you're 'retinue' such as it is consists of myself, a psyker of meager power, a tech-priest who is barely more than an initiate, and a bodyguard who I'll admit is pretty formidable. Taking on a whole planet, feudal or otherwise, seems pretty ambitious to me." Oberon shrugged again.

"Well you know what they say about ambition."

"You're starting to sound like Eramus." She said in response. Oberon felt a little taken aback.

"Shouldn't that be a good thing?" He asked incredulously. Now it was Moira's turn to shrug.

"Depends on how you look at I suppose but remember, I'm more or less your seneschal for now. I'm _supposed_ to be your best advisor and closest confidant on these matters." Oberon frowned.

"Wait, are we still talking about my brother or are we back on the subject of what to do with this planet?" Moira grinned.

"Take your pick," she replied with incredible amounts of smugness. Oberon grimaced and made sure to look anywhere but at Moira. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Moira spoke again. "So do you really think they're out there looking for us?" She asked. Oberon nodded.

"I do. To be honest, disregarding personal feelings, we aren't the most valuable members of the fleet. We're all seconds to somebody, except maybe you." Moira looked a bit crestfallen.

"That doesn't exactly help matters." Oberon smiled.

"You didn't let me finish. I was about to say that that is disregarding personal sentiments. I know my father and my brother. If one doesn't come looking for me, then the other will if only to prove something. Of course that's disregarding what Bart would do to get you back, or what Isaac would go through for Edric. Hell, Ulrich would probably fight his way through the Eye of Terror itself if it meant he could berate Nic just one more time." Moira laughed.

"You're probably right. Somebody will come for us." After a moment she pointed something out. "You know, I can't help but notice that you didn't mentioned Archimedes." Oberon found himself looking at his teacher's sleeping form.

"Somehow," he began tentatively. "I don't see Cyrus fighting his way through the Warp to get him back," he said. Moira nodded. Oberon was relieved. He had really meant what he'd told Moira, a sentiment that surprised even him. _I guess I really am optimistic_, he concurred after a moment. _Maybe it's something about this planet_. Again he steeled his nerves. _They won't have died in vain_, he told himself.

They didn't speak much for the next few hours as the sun slow clawed its way into the sky. As it did, Oberon and Moira pooled the rest of the previous nights' recaf rations into a breakfast brew, though it was still cold. Eventually, the others stirred and began to sit up. Edric for his part had apparently either 'powered down' or had attempted to imitate doing so, as he'd gone to sleep perfectly still and had awoken without so much as a murmur in his sleep.

"Good morning," he said. "It appears that we had a safe night." Oberon grinned.

"Yep, no ruthless predators in these woods," he said to the red robed figure as he stood. "Well, that or you know, we don't smell inviting, we look gamey, or the predators just aren't interested." Nicodemus, who was sitting up and reattaching his breastplate laughed.

"My arse," he said. "Catachans are prime cuts to any predator on any planet. They just can't keep their claws out of us," he concluded matter-of-factly. The group reopened their scraps from dinner and pooled them together. Oberon was surprised to find that they made a decent breakfast. As they ate, Archimedes set down his utensils and looked off into space for a moment before speaking.

"What if they're human?" The question caused everybody in the circle to look at the older man with varying degrees of confusion.

"...come again," asked Edric in a polite tone.

"I mean what I said. What if it turns out that the natives are human?" Nicodemus finished chewing and swallowed a piece of preserved protein before answering.

"What makes you think that they are?" Archimedes put his chin in a hand. It was obvious that he was working his way through the thought process.

"It's not unheard of. Lost colonies have been found as far away as the Expanse before." Edric spoke up in reply.

"This is true. A number of such colonies have even been able to preserve pieces of archaeotek that have proven to be quite valuable." Archimedes nodded.

"My thoughts exactly. I'm just asking what are plan is." Once more, Oberon found himself the center of attention.

"I supposed we'd do our best to induct them into the Imperium. But really what do you think are our chances?" Archimedes chuckled.

"Honestly? I'd say chances are pretty strong since I can sense at least two of them coming our way." Oberon paused utensil halfway to his mouth.

"Your...your joking right?" he asked, his voice breaking slightly. Archimedes slowly shook his head.

"Unfortunately, I'm not," he commented. Oberon nodded.

"Right," he began. "Moira, Edric," Oberon looked in the direction of the two. "I want you to take the las carbines and get into some kind of cover. Make sure you're unseen." Moira nodded immediately and grabbed the two weapons, handing one to Edric who looked unsure.

"Are you sure my lord?" Oberon nodded.

"I have faith in you Edric. Just makes sure they can't see your cloak, it sticks out a bit." The tech-priest nodded and moved into cover with Moira. Moira took up position behind a fallen log. Her cloak made it hard to spot her. Edric, for his part, had taken up position behind a large oak, and Oberon was fairly certain that he wouldn't be seen from the road.

Meanwhile, the other three had gathered together. Nicodemus looked hesitantly at Oberon. "What's the plan milord?" Oberon looked between the two men.

"We'll take up position along the side of the road and get their attention. After that, we negotiate. Arc," he looked at his mentor who seemed a little skittish at the moment. "Can you make out anything else about these two?" Archimedes sighed to calm himself and closed his eyes of a moment.

"There's three individuals total," he said, eyes still closed. "At least two are psykers for sure. One's around Eta level or maybe even low Zeta for all I know. The other is closer to Theta I think. The last member of the group, I'm not sure about." As the psyker opened his eyes Nicodemus looked at him.

"What do you mean you're not sure?" Archimedes gave Nicodemus a fierce look.

"I mean that I'm not sure. He could be hiding his power or he could just be affected by the presence of the others. The point is, I'm not sure." Nicodemus grunted and nodded. Oberon looked between the two.

"It will have to do for now I guess. Alright, if they ask, I'm the son of a rich merchant, you're my bodyguard," he gestured to Nic, "and you're my..."

"Accountant?" Finished Archimedes. Oberon nodded his agreement.

"It will have to do. Come on, make sure that Edric and Moira keep us in their sights." he turned around and waved at the log that he was pretty sure was concealing Moira. She waved back in affirmation.

Trudging forward, the three took up positions alongside the road, Oberon in the middle with the other two to either side of him. Immediately, they could see two figures coming down the path. The first, who was one of the largest men that Oberon had ever seen, was dragging a wooden cart behind him. The other in contrast, seemed to only move in serpentine patterns. As they came closer into view, Oberon felt a chill pass over him and a voice appeared in his mind.

"_The large one is the wildcard,_" the voice said in Archimedes' voice. The psyker had taken advantage of one of his talents to tap into the minds of his compatriots, a useful tool for coordinating. _You said there were two confirmed psykers,_ thought Oberon.

"_I did and I think the third one, the Theta, might be in the cart._" This gave Oberon pause. "_What are your orders milord?" _the questions echoed inside his head. _We wait for the moment. They might have a reason for keeping the other in the cart._ Nicodemus nodded his head, Archimedes had probably transferred to the young lord's thoughts to him. As the two came closer, Oberon recited a short prayer of protection and guidance under his breath as he thumbed the bolt pistol by his side and sliding his hand over the dagger across his belt.

Eventually, the two figures finished their approach and glanced over in the direction of the three.

"Excuse moi. Can I help you monsieur," asked the slim man in terribly accented Low Gothic, much to Oberon's surprise. He was dressed in what looked like a cheap suit that clung to his incredibly skinny body. As he looked him over, Oberon was slightly startled to see the man's feet had sunk into the earth beneath him. Oberon flashed what he hoped was his best 'trader's smile' and replied.

"Nothing much friend, just enjoying this fine morning." The large man, who had a white cloth over his eyes turned his head in their direction. His features remained stoic as he slim friend replied in his impenetrable accent.

"Well, I zuppoze that such iz your right," he commented. "Now if you'll excuse we," he began as Archimedes' voice laced through Oberon's mind.

"_The third is in the cart. I would never go where I'm not wanted but I can sense frustration, despair and some fear from them. Whoever they are, they don't want to be there."_ Oberon thanked Archimedes. Before he could answer the larger man spoke out in a deep baritone voice.

"Indeed! It's tragic, how beautiful this day is." Thankfully, unlike his friend, his accent was perfectly understandable Low Gothic, albeit it seemed a bit...off. "It's is truly sad to see you three alongside the road." _How can he see us,_ thought Oberon almost immediately.

"I...suppose. Not many warm days like this left," he casually remarked while praying that he had gotten the season right. He was in effect, waiting for Archimedes to provide him with more information.

"Ouah, you must be from ze north and east, oui?" Oberon shrugged, trying his damndest to appear casual.

"You could say that," he said. "I am...Aland," he said with a slight flourish. "This is my bodyguard Nicolas and my accountant Midas." The others nodded their greeting.

"Oh-la-la, a boy such as yourself needs a bodyguard, no? However, I apologize, but we must be on our vey." Before Oberon could reply, Archimedes cut through his thoughts.

"_What do we do? Nic thinks we should let them go, if only to not draw suspicion."_ Oberon though for a second. _He has a point, but can you tell me anything more about the one in the cart?_ As if in answer to this thoughts, a loud thumping sound came from the cart. The sound was repeated multiple times in rapid succession.

_Okay, that settles it,_ he relayed to Archimedes. _I don't care where we are, but these two have kidnapped somebody and I won't stand for this._ Archimedes' voice returned in reply.

"_Of course my lord,"_ he replied, the tone of his voice slightly different from before. As the two were turning to leave, Oberon gripped the hilt of his dagger and glanced at Nic. He gave the larger man a quick nod and he responded by grasping the hilt of his blade.

"Excuse me," Oberon called out to the other two men as they turned away. "But I was curious as to what you are keeping in that cart, which could be making so much noise." His voice took on a steel edge. "I wouldn't want it to be something...dishonorable." In response, to his shock, tears began streaming down the larger man's face and the slim man grinned maliciously.

"Wouldn't you vish to know..." He said, all traces of his prior facade gone.

Thought For the Day: Know your Duty!

Author's Notes:

_Well, there you have it. The second chapter overall and the first chapter with our shiny new _Original Characters_. _

**Well those were some time consuming fight scenes. You're done already?** _Oh hey bro, how many did you get through? _**What is 6 days divided by thirty minutes? **_Too many Photomancy, too many..._

_It was actually a rather interesting journey getting to this particular five man band, especially since the original idea had an Inquisitor and his retinue stumbling onto Earthland. That idea was shelved when it became evident that your average inquisitor would probably respond to Fairy Tail Hijinks _**(is that a proper noun? **_It is now._**)** _with violence. The fact that a Rogue Trader is one of the few individuals in the Warhammer universe whose reaction to encountering something different wouldn't _necessarily _be violence._

_Other ideas that I bounced around included a lone Grey Knight Purifier but that lost a lot of its luster when it occurred to me that there wasn't really any challenge to his purity on Earthland. That's really the thing about a crossover like this. The thematic separation is amazing. In Warhammer, a supremely moral figure like a Purifier is a shining bastion of goodness and hope. In Fairy Tail, he's basically just Frank from down the road._ **(Frank from down the road may or may not be an upcoming OC.)** _But then again, that's part of the fun of combining shonen and grimdark._

**For my part**, **original characters will begin appearing soon. Earthland is large, and Fiore and Canon only comprises a small part of it. Plus, more bodies results in more bodies. Get ready to meet Brunhilda and crew.** _I know I'm excited, how about you?_

_I can also tell that some of you are already worried about power scaling and I can say that Photomancy and myself are hard at work creating a good sense of equilibrium between the two settings. Suffice to say, a lot of it comes down to winning initiative for now since both sides have abilities that can outright kill the other if they go first, not unlike cats and commoners in that regard. And now for something that's only slightly silly._

_Things that we have done since the last update:_

_1. Ate about five pounds of chicken between the two of us. Heck, we're eating chicken right now!_

_2. Watched, discussed and mocked (on my part) the last leg of Persona 4: The Animation._

**3. Basked in the glory of Hiimdaisy's interpretation of said game. (You owe me $2.50, bitch) **_- Hey, I thought the soda was free. It's not my fault that you're easily manipulated by potentially free diet coke._

_3. Drank about two gallons of diet soda apiece._

_4. Introduced Photomancy to Code Geass._

**5. Unlocked my potential as the Diet Cola Dragon Slayer. DRAGON SLAYER'S CAFFEINATED ROAR!** _Oh yeah, now I remember that. That was pretty awesome. _

_6. Lost my soul in a bet with the devil. I really thought I could pull off a straight..._

**7. Learned French. Or just enough of it to write for Sol.** _If that..._

_8. Did _actual _schoolwork, shock and awe!_

_Which brings me to another point. We're probably going to be going radio silent for a few weeks since we are both in school and as such we have finals approaching like a train speeding toward us on the horizon. Which means tests, studying and final projects all around! yay..._

**Also Top 5 rejected story arcs.**

**1. Using the Tower of Heaven to revive Horus.**

**2. Naruto Crossover.** _Emperor upon his throne, don't even joke about that. Next, you'll be suggesting we crossover with Harry Potter._

**3. Harry Potter Crossover. LucyxDraco FTW. **_Okay, now you're just ! #$ing with me! _ **Indeed I am.** _Although to be fair like 10 stories like that probably just sprang into being from the mere mention of it._

**4. Nirvana on the Chaos Gods. **_File that one away for use in the Idea Hole, it might have some potential..._**I'll save it for the sequel.**

**5. **_Natsu finds the Sburb disc and recommends that everybody start playing the game._ **Uh! I call dibs! I'll save that for my own fanfic. Don't spoil my future plots now.**

_In conclusion, we'll get back to you in about three weeks, once finals are over with. In the meantime, I'm going to go spend a lot more time on the Lexicanum then is probably healthy._

**I need to go read what you wrote. Oh look, Medaka Box update!**

_And there he goes. By the way, I feel like I should mention in all honesty despite our implications of who writes what, we both contribute equally to everything that goes on the page in our own way. We really only chose who takes the lead mostly based on what characters are being used. Either way, see you next chapter folks!_


	3. Hidden Danger

A/N: Hey guys. Ready for some more Beyond the Blue Sky? Just make sure that when you're reading you remember that Fairy Tail and Warhammer are owned by Hiro Mashima, Weekly Shonen, and Funimation, and Games Workshop Respectively, and to keep supporting the official releases.

Chapter 3- Hidden Danger

_The world changes from stories told, and mankind requires tales of old. When a few men decide that their past they must hide the world will suffer tenfold._

The whispers were finally beginning to subside among the growing crowd of onlookers as Master Makarov approached the bloodied tree. In one hand, the guildmaster clutched a pillar of iron twice his size, and even his free hand had taken on a crimson hue of from the tightness of his grip. Lucy was unsure about where the pillar came from, but at this point, her normal curiosity had been entirely enveloped by her concern for her friends. Neither Levy, nor the other two members of Team Shadow Gear, Jet and Droy, were still conscious, and she couldn't tell how long they had been crucified upon the First Magnolia for. A small pool of blood had formed by the roots of the trees, but the terrified teen decided against taking her friends down, for fear of injuring them more.

Directly behind the guildmaster were Natsu and Erza. Natsu was the first person to hear her scream after the discovery, and was there to help her almost instantaneously. Lucy would often forget that he was her senior after experiencing the pyromancer's puerile antics, but the magnitude of his mood swings would never fail to remind her of how seriously Natsu took his friends. Friends isn't right. He calls us friends but Fairy Tail is more like his family. Lucy would have smiled if she could. The dragonslayer could be naive, but he was someone who she could count on when things became serious. She could see a thin blanket of fire had coated the young man's body, as it often did when he was enraged.

As the master stopped in front of the tree, the iron pillar that he had been holding shattered. Pieces of shrapnel blasted into the air around him. One in particular shot towards Natsu like a cannonball, but the updraft caused by his fire coating redirected it upwards, before it drifted down like a sheet of paper. Expressionless, Erza lifted her hand, and and the many remaining shards froze in place, before immediately dropping to the ground with a series of clanks.

Mirajane, Grey, and Cana began to take their injured comrades down from the tree. Where Levy had been pinned, a familiar symbol was drawn in blood. It was an almost complete circle, with a small part removed from the top and a dot in the center. Below that was a line that curved like a pig tail. Two more protruded from the bottom of the circle on either side of the curve like spikes.

"Phantom Lord..." Natsu growled.

Makarov turned around. "That fool Jose will regret ever touching one of my children." The master raised his voice without clearing his throat. "Fairy Tail!" Lucy was unsure about whether she was inspired or terrified by this unfamiliar side of the kindly old man.

"Phantom Lord just tried to send us a message. I think we damn well ought to let them know that we received it. They have Dared to harm three of our members, under the cover of night. It is our turn to show them who we are." At the word "dared", Lucy was sure that the earth had vibrated.

The next moment, the diminutive old man was gone, and a titan stood in his place. The crowd of wizards emitted a collective gasp. "They let us see their cowardice. Now let's show them fear. They let us feel sorrow. Now let's show them the strength of our bonds. They let us see the strength of Phantom Lord. Now let's show them what it means to anger Fairy Tail!"

The park erupted in cheers. Erza lifted her sword, and the volume of the crowd dropped enough so Erza could shout over it.

"We shall meet outside of Oak Town at two o'clock this afternoon. Anyone who wishes to aid in delivering," her voice took on a razor sharp edge, "our reply, can take one of the next two trains from Magnolia station. You are all dismissed."

As the crowd began to disperse, Mirajane approached Lucy. The maiden's sweet smile was unwavering. Lucy wondered what type of steel willpower was required to remain unfazed in such a situation. "Don't you worry. The master and Erza will deal with Phantom Lord."

A faint smile appeared on Lucy's lips. Her bright brown eyes were still bloodshot from crying and she was feeling exhausted. "I must look terrible. Thanks." Lucy's eyes narrowed. "I'm sure those Phantom creeps will get what's coming. Is there any way I can help you with Levy?"

"Actually, you can." There was a subtle look of relief in Mirajane's large blue eyes. Here distinctive short ponytail that she always kept tied above her forehead was missing, however, her hair still acted as if it was in place. Lucy thought she remembered Mira had it on earlier. She must have given it to help one of the injured. "Would you have Taurus cary Jet and Droy to the Hospital?"

The celestial spirit wizard sighed. This was destined to be a very long day.

Gajeel Redfox knew that he generally associated with the Element Four for a reason. Seeing Phantom Lords' three S-Class candidates, the Four Forces, reminded him of what that was. However creepy Aria of the Heavens and Sol of the Land were, his former comrades put them to shame. Those aforementioned two had gone on an important mission for the guild. Something had probably happened to Juvia of the Deep, since she had not yet returned from her mission to investigate the falling star. The Iron Dragon Slayer chuckled, thinking about her situation. How hard could something of that size be to find? The final member of the Element Four, Totomaru of the Conflagration sat next to him. His distinctive black and white hair was tied in a ponytail, which Gajeel was fond of teasing the wannabe ninja for.

Directly to Gajeel's left sat Brunhilda of the Crimson Frost. She was a tall, blonde woman, with a surprisingly slim, boyish figure. Nobody dared mention that, because the last person to make the mistake of critiquing her "marvelous beauty" woke up the next morning encased in ice, while dangling from the highest point in Oaktown.

To her left was one of the guilds most peculiar people, and a person was a generous way to describe Quentin. Quentin of the Golden Bough had squirrelly buck teeth and a bushy tail, which were only the second most annoying part of his magic. Quentin used to be overly hyperactive, but years of Hilda's whip had made him unnervingly apathetic and surprisingly resistant to pain.

Finally, on Totomaru's right sat the youngest member of the Force Four. At 17, Mika of the White Light had bright bronze eyes and brilliant orange hair. She was the cutest of her group, standing at five feet four, but her suitors were often intimidated by the sizeable axe she kept strung over her shoulder. On somebody of Gajeel's stature the weapon wouldn't appear abnormal, but on the girl's petite frame it was almost comical. It was also kind of sad that Mika's guildmates found her to be so scary, because she loved setting up them on dates.

The doors of the conference room opened, and Phantom Lord's Master Jose Porla strode into the room. The simple presence of the Wizard Saint's magic power was enough to instantly silence the mages. He took his seat at the head of the table and a sinister smile appeared on his face.

Phantom Lord's master was an intimidating individual. His long black hair had the slightest tint of red, but it was hard to tell because of the shadow cast by the enormous pointed purple hat that he wore. His matching purple robes made his outfit similar to the ones worn by the more conservative members of the Magic Council, save the demon wings protruding from the back.

Jose cleared his throat. "I suppose you all wish to know why I summoned you here. Scratch that. I doubt half of you are capable of thinking for yourselves."

The seriousness veneer of the conversation was shattered by a thud and the subsequent laughter from right next to Gajeel. Brunhilda had fallen off of her chair at the Master's poorly conceived and pathetically delivered joke. Mika sighed audibly, while shaking her head.

Master Porla continued. "You might be aware that Aria, Sol, and Juvia are," he paused, "out at the moment. Thanks to Mr. Redfox, I am expecting visitors to the guildhall rather shortly. However, I have a guest that I will be attending to, so I would like you to welcome them for me. They are rather rowdy guests, so listen closely."

Magnolia Hospital was more than familiar with treating injuries pertaining to magic, so it was barely more than an hour when Lucy was told that she could see her friend. When she entered the room, Levy was already sitting up, and was eyeing the black tome clutched in Lucy's grip.

"Thank you so much," she said gratefully as she took the book from her friend. "How did you know?" Lucy smiled.

"Mirajane said she had a hunch you'd need something to do." Levy laughed.

"She was probably right about that. I should remember to thank her later I guess." Lucy chuckled. It was good to see her friend in such high spirits despite her injuries. Even though she was awake and sitting up, it was difficult to actually look at Levy. Her wrists were covered in white bandages, and her entire body, from what Lucy could see, was covered in cuts, scrapes and bruises. It took effort not to keep glancing at the damage that those creeps from Phantom had done to her. Levy suddenly became morose. "How are Jet and Droy?"

"They're doing fine," Lucy assured her friend. "From what I understand Jet was a little touch and go for a while, but they're both resting soundly down the hall." Levy sighed and managed to smile just a bit.

"That's good to here. Did you really decide not to go with the rest of the guild to make sure I was alright? You shouldn't have."

"Come on Levy. What are friends for?" Lucy smiled. Handing Levy the book, she remembered a question that had been nagging at her. "Doesn't this book have a story about Magnolia Town's founding too?"

Levy's eyes lit up, as they often did when she began to teach. "Actually, that one is a poem. About two thirds of the stories in it are in verse, so the one I was reading yesterday was the exception. Currently, I'm reading one about the reason why-" Levy gasped. "Sorry. I must be boring you."

Lucy laughed. "Not in the least. You know I love your lectures."

"Don't call them that." Levy's cheeks flushed red as she raised her voice. "I try not to be preachy. I just tend to ramble a bit."

"And if your students learn something from it, all the better." Lucy was truly laughing for the first time since she'd gotten up. However, Levy's reply was cut short by a nurse entering the room.

"Great news, Ms. McGarden. It seems you passed the test. You should be released by this afternoon."

Lucy's hands went to her keyring. "That's great Levy. I'll go tell the guys."

The injured girl let out a deep sigh. "I'll send you a message when I get back to the guildhall. Be safe."

Although it was only about 11 o'clock, the pale grey sky made it seem much later, although it could simply be a side effect from not having enough sleep. Plue was walking closely behind her, and Lucy thought that he seemed more scared than he normally was. Of course. With what happened to the guild hall, it's no wonder that he's terrified. But it'll be fine. Natsu and the re- Her train of thought was interrupted by a very tall man in a green coat and hat. He was wearing a blindfold and was standing in the middle of the street.

"Excuse me sir, but someone might bump into you if you stand there." Now that she was this close to him, he realized how massive he really was. She also noticed that there were tears streaming down the man's face from under his blindfold.

"This is so sorrowful."

"Um... Excuse me?"

"Such a beautiful flower. It must be picked and allowed to wilt. It is so sad."

A sudden chill ran through Lucy's body, as if the air around her turned cold, but only for a second. "I'm sorry about that. Well, I need to go."

"Yes, and that is what is so tragic." The man in the green coat raised his hands up to his chest.

Lucy raised her voice. "Ok you pervert. I'm leaving now, so-"

"I am Aria of the Heavens. The leader of Phantom Lords Element Four." A rush of air came from Aria's direction, and Lucy found herself suddenly unable to breath.

The last thing Lucy remembered hearing, as her surroundings faded to black, was the echos of the man in green sobbing.

When Lucy came to, she was tied up in what she assumed was the back of some kind of cart. She could faintly hear Aria sobbing, and another man talking, who as hard as it was to believe, sounded more annoying than Aria.

"Non, Non, Non, Monsieur. It iz Brunhilda who zhe masteh has preparing za trap. He iz dead."

"Yes, his fall will be so sorrowful." It was that pervert again.

"How much do we get paid for ze mademoiselle? Her father iz very rich, non?"

"Yes, the capture is so sorrowful." That goddam pervert.

"And that meteor, it iz zhe perfect excuse for ze capture."

"Yes, a fallen star, it is so sorrowful."

"You know what, I am done talking with you."

"Yes, you are ignoring me. It is so sorrowful."

"'ave you heard from ze redfox?"

A sudden bump in the cart caused Lucy to once again slip into darkness.

The second time that Lucy woke up, she paid careful attention to where she was lying. She had already lost consciousness two times too many today. The conversation had shifted to more existential topics, so she must have been out for some time now.

"I shall not get myself a cat. It would be so tragic for the cat to have an owner who is to be known as the crazy cat man."

"Zhe poor chat, who must work with you. It would be just tragique."

Lucy almost felt sorry for the poor guy. "So zhe chick zat Redfox hurt, Mademoiselle Gardane, or Grandy, or lets say Grandma." Never mind.

"It was so tragic how you didn't give Juvia your map."

"I waz supposed to give Juvia zhe map? Oh by ze way, did u hear zhat Juvia..." Lucy was taken aback by what she heard. Don't tell such embarrassing stories about your guildmates.

After about ten minutes of uneventful listening, and Lucy learning more about her two captors than she ever needed to know, the vehicle drew to a stop. Lucy did her best to edge closer to the hole in the wood directly in front of her. She'd briefly considered sitting up and somehow throwing the cover off herself but had discarded that idea, subtlety was a must right now. Besides, from her position, she could just barely make out what was happening and a rash action could spell disaster.

What was already more than apparent was that Sol, the one with the strange accent, was talking to somebody. Whoever it was, he also possessed a bizarre accent. Eventually she was able to press her eye against the hole and look out. Her view wasn't very good but she was at least able to take in some of what was going on. More importantly, she could see the source of the other strange voice. He was a young man, probably a bit older than her, maybe around Loke's age. From what little she could see, he was attempting to converse with her captors and what's more, he was doing a terrible job at it.

"Not many warms days like this left," he commented much to Lucy's chagrin. Not many warm days? It was the middle of April, whoever this guy was, he wasn't from around here. Sol had apparently also picked up on that and commented on it. The young man's reply sounded...off. He'd meant to come off as cool and possibly casual but it was evident there was something didn't fit. He sounded like one of those men who had come to the family estate pitching a business plan to her father only to realize that he had no ground to stand on. In short, the young man was stalling for something.

In the corner of her consciousness, something was amiss, and a quick chill ran down Lucy's spine; she would have hugged herself if she wasn't tied up. It suddenly occurred to the young woman that she probably wasn't going to get another chance like this. She couldn't be sure what kind of people these were, but they had to be better than her captors. Lucy began to formulate a plan for escape. The first thing to do was to get their attention, which she'd have to do fast since the cart was beginning to creak forward again.

Despite her situation, there was still one surefire way to make sure she was noticed. She pulled her legs up so that her knees were touching her chest and then she slammed them into the side of the wooden cart creating a loud thunk. The cart stopped moving immediately and she repeated her actions four more times in rapid succession. That ought to do it, thought Lucy with a sense of smug satisfaction. Now as for getting out of this darn cart...

Oberon's hand hovered just above his bolt pistol. He was hopeful that this wouldn't be ending in bloodshed but the odds of that had just begun to slowly erode.

"I'll say again," he said after a moment. "I'd like to see what you're keeping in your cart." He grinned. "You could say those noises have piqued my interest." The serpentine man cocked an eyebrow and almost seemed to slither a few feet forward. Meanwhile, Nicodemus took a step forward, his hand already on the hilt of his blade and his stare boring into the other two men.

"My associate and mui," he responded while gesturing at his large compatriot. "Are secretive individuals monsieur. Why vould we let dju see what we are traveling with?" Oberon managed to maintain the smile on his face.

"Well to be fair, I am willing to negotiate something with you." The slender man's eyes narrowed.

"And if ve refused your offer?" he asked. The hand over Oberon's pistol flashed a series of gesture in Moira's direction and in a second both she and Edric had appeared from their hiding spaces, las guns leveled at the two men.

"I would heartily recommend negotiations," he replied. But then something strange happened. The skinny, orange-clad man seemed to vanish and before Oberon even had a chance to get his bearings, he felt a new presence between himself and Archimedes.

"So, ze little pup, he has ze fangs, no?" the man asked in a terrifyingly menacing tone, now mere centimeters from his ear. With lightning quick reflexes, Oberon grabbed his knife from its sheath and attempted to strike at the taunting man with a slash, only for his blade to find air as the skinny man seemed to melt into the Earth. Archimedes gasped and took a few steps back, his eyes fixed on where their opponent had just been. Oberon immediately began to glance around and soon enough, he found the man as he rose from the ground a few meters away. Immediately the voice of Archimedes sounded in his head.

Sir, I've never seen a power like that before, what are your orders? Within the space of an instant, Oberon relayed his plans.

Tell Moira and Edric to concentrate their fire on the skinny one. Nicodemus should do the same and try to close to gap between us. You're with me, let's see what this big fellow can do. First person to see an opening for the cart, takes it. Archimedes nodded and after a moment, so did the others. Oberon made sure to return his knife to his belt before he grasped the large blade across his back and slowly drew it from its scabbard, while keeping his focus on the man in the blindfold. Dozens of teeth glinted in the sun for a second before Oberon thumbed a switch and the blade began revving. The large man smiled menacingly, and Oberon found it difficult to believe that he was unable to see.

"Let's dance," he said quietly as the five sprang into action. Within seconds, both Moira and Edric had opened fire as a salvo of las shots rushed towards the skinny man. Amazingly, none of the shots landed as the man seemed to wind his way around the beams of light and heat.

"You must to do better zhen zat," he mocked as he bent his body at angles which were either impossible or implied that he was quite literally spineless, "If you are going to go toe-to-toe vith Sol of zhe Great Earth!"

Lucy had finally managed to remove her gag. Although her keyring had either been lost or confiscated, she still had her Sagittarius key from the Galuna island request reward. Thank heavens she had procrastinated making that contract. It took her about a minute, but she was able to use it to saw through the rope that bound her hands. However, as soon as she felt her bindings fall away, the key slipped from her fingers and through a crack in the carts' bottom.

Meanwhile, Lucy reminded herself to thank these passersby for the distraction, they'd proven surprisingly helpful. Lucy looked back through the hole in the cart and was taken aback by what she saw. Two more individuals had appeared, apparently from hiding and were firing some sort of firearm at Sol, who wasn't staying still long enough for them to land a solid blow. Most importantly, it was becoming clear that none of these travelers were wizards and weren't that familiar with magic. She would need to warn them about the dangers of taking on these two men. I guess I have only one option, she decided and with that Lucy heaved herself up and threw off the cover that had been obscuring her from view.

"Watch out," she shouted as loud as she could. "Those two are powerful wizards. The giant pervert uses wind magic. I'm not that sure about the weird, skinny one."

Edric squeezed off another round and cursed his misfortune as the shot just barely missed the bizarrely springy man who seemed to bend just out of reach. As he brought the carbines' sights to his eye he paused as a young woman shouted out something about their new adversaries. He quickly ducked behind cover before looking around and spotting the young woman who was now sitting in the cart. Wrists are red and slightly swollen, he assessed with precision that would have surpassed a human who hadn't received the same blessings as himself. Such markings suggest that until recently her hands have been bound. He glanced back at his comrades. Moira was still plugging away at the constantly moving man who had called himself Sol. Nicodemus had also cleared the distance between himself and Sol and was swinging his blade, whose disruptor field glowed a bright blue, though he wasn't having any better luck than Moira in landing a blow. Finally, Archimedes and Oberon were engaging the larger man, who was also managing to maintain a distance and was producing some form of wind that buffeted the other two men, preventing them from advancing.

Lord Oberon did say that the first to see an opening should take it, he mused with haste. It appears that I'm the only one who can, Edric determined as he moved from cover and sprinted towards the cart, his maroon cap billowing around him.

He closed the distance relatively quickly and approached the young woman who was looking at him with a bit of trepidation.

"Uh...hel...hello," she managed to stammer out as Edric approached. As he came to a stop, he gave a short bow.

"Hello ma'am, I am Edric Montague, servant of House Albrecht and mech-wright of the Adeptus Mechanicus," he said with impressive speed. The young woman nodded a bit.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Lucy. Lucy of Fairy Tail." Edric's brow furrowed as he gave her a look.

"Very well Lucy of Fairy Tail," he began as he deftly untied the ropes that still bound her feet. "I'm going to have to ask you to cover your ears and duck down for a moment." The slight shift in tone of his voice was enough as the young woman gave another nod, this one a bit more confident before following his orders. As she did so, Edirc was able to see a clear view of the larger man who was fighting Oberon and Archimedes. He was concentrating on the other two, which gave him a clear shot, but not for his las carbine. Instead, he tapped into the mechanics of his respirator and began to mutter the illogical fallacies necessary to create the effect he wanted.

In short order, he was successful and the synthesizer in his respirator unit loosed a disconcerting screech. The effect was instantaneous as the large man roared in pain and turned to face Edric. When he did so, he raised his hands and a rush of air bowled Edric over.

"That went as planned," he muttered as he stood back up and brushed himself off. As he did so, the young woman gave him a strange look.

"What kind of magic was that?" She asked.

"Magic?" was the only reply that Edirc could manage in short order.

Moira noticed rather quickly that Edric had left her side, but years of familiarity with her comrades made her confidant that he knew what he was doing. However, a bit of trash talk might be helpful to make sure that Edric accomplished his objective.

Moira cleared her throat. "So what the hell is up with your body? Are you some kind of mutant." Maybe if I can distract him for just a second, I might be able to get a clear shot or buy Nic some time to really get this bastard.

Moira managed to catch a glimpse of a grin on the man's face before he sank into the earth. Nicodemus looked especially tense, trying to figure out where he would reappear. A short silence fell over the battlefield, before being broken by a sudden shout.

"Sable Dance!" Dust shot up from the earth, and began swirling like a sandstorm, despite a complete lack of wind. From the soil beside Moira, Sol shot up, holding a monocle up to his eyes. "You call me zhe monster? I think zat ve both know who ze real monsters are."

Now's my chance! Moira raised her gun, but Sol was no longer standing there. Instead, there was what looked like two massive men, each the size of Aria, covered in thick armor, and decorated with black arrows. A chain was draped across each of their chests, and a claw was inscribed on their belts. Both were armed with replicas of bolt pistols and chainswords Moira's eyes grew wide for a split second, before she raised her carbine and fired at the...statues? They were stone statues, and they each disintegrated with one shot.

From beside her, the irritating voice of the man in the orange suit spoke to her. "Red Corsairs," he said with casual abandon, " such a terrifying name don't you agree, mon amie?"

Moira whirled around, and aimed her gun at where the voice came from, and froze when she noticed whose forehead her gun was pointing at. He was a man of slightly above average height with a mess of brown hair not unlike her own that hung to his shoulder. His grey eyes smiled at her with a glint that she had long forgotten. "Father?" she muttered incredulously, as her grip on her rifle began to waver. The colors in her vision were beginning to blur, with greys starting to appear where they didn't belong.

A soft hum, followed by a splash to the face snapped Moira out of the dizzy spell she was in. Looking down, she was covered in blood, (thankfully not her own) and earth bound her legs up to her knees. In front of her, Nicodemus stood holding his power blade, and Sol, or the lower half of him, was lying between the two of them.

"Huh," the broad man commented as he looked at what was left of the corpse. "That doesn't usually happen. But I guess that's what happens when a snake meets my vine cutter." He looked at Moira who was still feeling a bit shaken. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she clarified as her wits returned. "The piece of grox shit tried to use my parents against-" she began but was stopped when the two overheard a very different tone coming from the tall man.

"What have you done to him!?"

Oberon managed a smile as he saw Nicodemus run the other man through with his "vine-cutter," before turning back to face his foe. The huge man had proven to be surprisingly agile up until now but he stopped when his friend fell to the ground. He seemed frozen but as both he and Archimedes moved in closer, he spoke. His voice was booming and ominous.

"You have killed my friend," he intoned as tears streamed down his face in a fresh torrent. "Such sorrow can not go unmatched." As he spoke he reached behind his head and removed the cloth that covered his eyes. Oberon was shocked by what was beneath the cloth. The man's irises were a bright magenta and instead of pupils he had what appeared to be a pair of diagonal, white crosses. Immediately, Archimedes let out a scream and clutched at his head.

"Okay," he said as the other man's face was split in a wide smile and the wind around them began to intensify into a gale. "Now I can feel his full power and its...ah!" Oberon nodded and grabbed his bolt pistol from its holster.

"Right, that's all I needed to hear." he said as he flicked off the weapon's safety. Surprisingly, the big man seemed unfazed as he glared at him with a dark intensity.

"You really believe that such weapons can harm me? I am Aria of the Heavens, first of the Element Four and you are nothing to me. I no longer apologize for your deaths to come." Oberon's smiled waver but did not break.

"And I'm Oberon of House Albrecht, fifth of my name and captain of the Dawn's Light. You. Don't. Scare me." Even as he spoke, the gale had pushed him and his friends back. Edric was on his knees and the only thing preventing Archimedes from being in a similar position was his white-knuckled grip on his staff. In response, the man calling himself Aria moved in a blur and appeared directly in front of the young man.

"How about now?" he asked while looming over Oberon. Before Oberon could retaliate, a massive gust of wind picked him up and threw him, bodily through the air and into the tree that Edric had been using for cover previously. The blow had been painful but Oberon was sure that his reinforced cloak had taken the brunt of the damage. Even so, he groaned as he sank to a knee. When he opened his eyes, the huge man was once again towering above him.

"Well, little captain. Make your move," he commanded. Oberon gripped the chainsword in his right hand and slashed at the larger man who deftly dodged it with another blur of motion. Oberon stood up and leveled his pistol at Aria, who was now a few meters away. I only have one shot at this, he thought as he squeezed the trigger. The bolt rocketed from the barrel with the iconic bang of the weapon and cut through the air, propelled by its own volition. To his shock, as the projectile flew towards the large man, Aria grinned and made a triangle with his hands in front of his chest. Apparently whatever powers he possessed were effective as the bolt actually seemed to slow as the wind howled around it. When it was within mere centimeters of the man's flesh though it stopped and Aria had just enough time to broaden his grin before the bolt's second function took over. As the bolt came to a stop and it's tip was crumpled by the force of the wind, the propellent ignited with a small flash and its second distinct bang. The blast sent the large man reeling.

As big man's gaze drifted down to his chest, now stained red with his own blood, he let out a sigh of relief. With the last of his strength, Aria of the Heavens looked up at his namesake and fell to his knees. For the first time in ages, he felt the tears on his face begin to dry and he began to genuinely smile for reasons that had long been forgotten by him. He was dead before he hit the ground.

Lucy wanted to vomit, but she was far too tired, so she simply smiled vacantly at her rescuers. Makarov was going to have a lot of paperwork when she got back to the guildhall. Maybe they're part of a mercenary guild. Oh man, I hope so. Lucy stood up straight and smiled, in an attempt to be charming. "Thank you all so much. I'm Lucy of Fairy Tail, a celestial spirit mage." She suddenly remembered her key. Pushing the cart backwards, Lucy bent down to pick up the key in a somewhat seductive way. These are powerful men, so I better not take any chances. Looking back at them, one of the four men, the most physically imposing of them, seemed interested for a second, but a quick glare from the leader made him regain his composure. Lucy smiled directly at him before she spoke.

"I've already met Mr. Edric, but who are the rest of my rescuers, if you don't mind me asking?"

The leader, and he was clearly the leader from how the others seemed to look at him, smiled in a professional manner. "Not at all ma'am, I am Oberon of House Albrecht," he said. "The big one is Nic, my bodyguard," he continued as the big one stepped forward. The large man nodded once in greeting.

"Milady," he said, to which Lucy blushed. Next Oberon gestured at the older looking man leaning on the metal staff.

"This is Archimedes, my advisor and...moral compass I suppose." The old man actually bowed to Lucy.

"It's an honor. I'm glad to see you safe." Lucy smiled.

"Thank you sir." Finally, Oberon nodded at the young woman in the group.

"Lastly, this is Moira Quotes, my seneschal and expert on matters of business and trade." The other woman just smiled and inclined her head. At the mention of the word seneschal, Lucy's eyes narrowed.

Lucy's demeanor became serious. "You must be from an important family to have so many people traveling with you. I am honored that you took time out of your busy schedule to help someone like me. If I may ask, you seem to be heading south. If you would accompany me that way to Magnolia Town, I can thank you properly." As she spoke, Archimedes closed his eyes and Oberon seemed to get a far off look for barely more than a second but was smiling before she'd finished speaking.

"We'd be glad to escort you my dear," Lucy sighed, just a bit exasperated. Even though he seemed like a decent enough guy, Oberon sounded just like at like the dozens of potential suitors that she'd fielded in the past. But before she could reply though Archimedes' eyes sprung open and he shouted.

"Everyone get down!" The others, excluding Lucy reacted quickly only just barely avoiding a gout of fire that roared overhead. The source of the fire followed soon after as a young man with distinct pink hair crashed into the ground between Lucy and the newcomers.

Lucy, for her part, just stared with her mouth agape as the five individuals in front of her were replaced by a wall of red flames. However, upon seeing who had just landed on one knee in front of her, she was immediately relieved.

In a flash, Oberon had his bolt pistol out and leveled at the newcomer. Similarly, Nicodemus and Edric leveled their carbines at him and Moira had her stubber out and aimed as well. Archimedes for his part had taken a step back but a thread of lightning now jumped between his hand and the tip of his staff. The figure now in their midst was a young man, just a hair taller the Oberon. His face was split in a feral grin and he held a bright orange flame in his hand.

"Are you okay Lucy? These guys haven't been bothering you have they?" Without waiting for her to answer Oberon looked past the young man and at Lucy herself.

"Lucy, you know this man?" The young man looked directly at Oberon now.

"Of course I know her, she's my teammate and my friend." And in confirmation, Lucy sprang forward and hugged the pyromancer from behind. Oberon sighed, and lowered his weapon while signalling for his allies to do the same. Nicodemus for his part grinned as he slung the carbine over his shoulder.

"Well that's all well and good I guess but who are you?" The young man's eyes flashed and he grinned.

"I'm Natsu Dragneel, wizard of Fairy Tail."

Stepping back from their embrace, Lucy looked up at Natsu. "These guys rescued me from those Phantom creeps." Natsu turned back to the group standing across the blackened grass from him. All of the malice in his previous look was gone.

"I'm so sorry! Did I hurt any of you? Please tell me you are ok; if Erza finds out I harmed anyone or anything, I might not wake up tomorrow morning. She is angry enough already." Archimedes held up his hand for silence.

"Don't worry son, we're fine though I should say that I'm lucky to have sensed you when I did or else things could've been a bit more," he glanced around at the charred landscape "scorched, I guess." Natsu smiled weakly.

"I'm glad for that. I'm just grateful that somebody could rescue Lucy."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have been so hard on that Phantom Goon." Happy landed on Natsu's shoulder.

The young wizard shuddered. "Oh yeah. This is my cat Happy. So who are you guys?" His remark only found blank stares.

"It...it talked," remarked the figure in the red cloak.

The flying blue cat laughed. "I get that alot."

Thought For the Day: Ruthlessness is the Kindness of the Wise.

Author's Notes:

**WHY DID IT HAVE TO END! Anyway, welcome to the Authors Notes for Chapter 3 of Beyond the Blue Sky. Once again, I am Photomancy. And I'm AdeptusAdv, let's get this show started.**

_So this was a long one in the works for a number of reasons, not the least of which were real life, but that is neither here nor there. For my part I want to talk about the the fightin' and the killin'._

**I want to talk about my thought processes in regards to creating OCs and moving around characters from their canon locations. Also, my thoughts on writing for Aria and Sol.**

_So from the start we were certain that we wanted the retinue (catch all phrase for my first batch of OC's) to come off as competent early on by getting rid of some arc-significant characters. After settling on starting during the Phantom Lord arc, we had a pretty easy time considering Sol and Aria for the positions._

_As to how easily both wizards were killed. Well, neither of us see that as my OC's being Sues who are just that awesome. We are both of the opinion that, wizard or not, people are pretty fragile_ **(Juvia and Erza are examples of case by case basis for exceptions)** _and the weapons of Warhammer really do pack a punch. Remember, this is a setting where the ostensibly weakest weapons are more or less AK-47's. And speaking of weapons, its time for some quick specs on what the retinue has at their disposal._

_Nicodemus' Vine Cutter - Custom-built Power Blade somewhere between a real power sword and a power blade (dagger sized weapons for those unafamiliar). It's probably about two and a half feet long but not much longer. It was a gift._

_Moira's stub revolver - custom made stubber revolver (were this Dark Heresy it would probably have one of the higher craftsmanship tiers). Just a note, she may only have a limited supply of ammo but stub weapons are so universal she probably won't have any problem finding replacement ammunition (though it will be lower quality than what she is used to)._ **They might sell magic bullets at stores, or she can ask Alzac (a gun wizard) to make them for her.**

_The team's Las Carbines - Slightly higher than common craftsmanship carbines with the usual things like iron sights and folding stocks nothing special. Just a note for those who are unfamiliar with las weapons, their cells (ammo clips) can be recharged by anything from sunlight to heat like say a campfire or the like. _ **(Natsu can help with that.)**

_Edric's implants - Edric has two built-in methods of self defense, the feedback screech that he demonstrated in this chapter was one of them. You'll have to wait to see the other. Also, though I mentioned his specific rank (mech-wright) that doesn't mean he is necessarily the equivalent of a tier-two DH character._

_Oberon's weaponry - His knife is a good quality mono-edge blade. The chainsword is a Hecate model, which I think are more common amongst Rogue Traders. Finally, his bolt pistol is of the Ceres pattern, which is also commonly found in Rogue Trader arsenals. I wanted to make sure that he wasn't overpowered though so Oberon only has 15 more shots left since he only found two clips of bolts while getting off the Dawn's Light._

**For my thoughts:**

**1. Redundantly rewriting canon is redundant, while not being nearly as exciting. Thus, there is a lot of freedom in how Jose will make his new plan, and where he takes the guild war.**

**2. We chose Aria and Sol for the role of kidnapping Lucy for several reasons. **

**i) We didn't want Juvia to die.**_ Wow, you really like make numerical lists don't you? I mean we are at a list within a list levels here. List-ception!_

**ii) Aria was established to be very powerful, so his defeat shows significant capability.**

**iii) Sol is an asshole.**

**iv) Their strategies would change the least with this fight from their canon appearance.**

**3. Writing for our Phantom friends was both fun and frustrating. I mean sacrebleu, it was tough to call Sol French without acknowledging the existence of a place called France. (Pour mes amis francais, je suis desole.) While Sol is obnoxious, it was fun writing his interactions with Aria, and I am sad he must die.**

**4. I am even sadder about Aria. Good thing there are ghosts. **_Come on now, Death isn't cheap you know..._** Tell it to the writing staff- I mean to Mavis.**

**5. More about the three new Phantom Lord members next update. If I grow attached to them enough, they will survive.**

**6. When we have fight scenes, (and when we don't), we play music to imagine in the background. For today's fight, I imagined "Reverse The Destiny," from Persona -Trinity Soul-. watch?v=xh5ci3SOmTc**

_And now, as always, for something slightly silly_

_Things we've done since the last update MK 2:_

_1. Gotten a lot of use out of the Idea Hole (Idea Hole functions are closed pending inspections from the FCC, FBI, FDA, Federal Wildlife Fund and PBS.)_ **Did you know that the Idea Hole has both a black and white mode. Black holes suck us in to fight to the death and white holes give us inspi- Wait, PBS?**

_2. Consumed between the two of use roughly 4 pounds of designer calzones. Did you know they make cookies and creams calzones? Or that they are delicious? Because they do and they are!_

**3. Finals.**

**3a. Final Projects**

**3b. Final Papers.**

_4. Had discussions that probably went a little too long on how much of a dumbass Lelouche comes off as in Code Geass (which we are currently working our way through)._ ** If you want to write for a tactician, you need to be able to write tactics. Hint. As hard as it is to believe, that white and gold mecha will ruin your plans Lelouche. **_You know what they say about people in glass houses right? _ **How would you know. Hold your judgement until Mavis.**

_5. Sold my soul to Hades in exchange for being a talented calligrapher. That didn't exactly pan out. Turns out calligraphy isn't the booming market it used to be..._ **You should have asked for them to continue Medoka Box.**

_Finally, Five Aborted Character Ideas:_

_1. Reggie, wise cracking tech-priest sidekick._

_2. Chauncey, a hotshot arbiter who doesn't play by the rules._

**3. Adeptomancy, the Wizard Saint. The world is just not ready for him yet.**

**4. Naruto.** _ He's gonna be a space marine, believe it..._ ** SasukexLucy FTW.** _I don't know, that's a hard matchup seeing as only one them actually has human emotions._ **Has that stopped shippers before?** _You have a point._

_5. Luigi Martello, sex wizard._ **A master at caling his attacks. **

**Well, goodnight sweet Medoka Box, and may a flight of angels carry you to your rest.** _And he's gone inconsolable again. He's going to be in mourning for a while. Meanwhile, I have to go read watch another forum debate over whether Cain or Gaunt would win in a fight. See ya next chapter! _**Also, summer break is almost here, and we aren't sure how that will affect our schedule, however there will probably be another chapter in about two weeks at most. Enjoy!**


	4. Altered Paths

A/N: Hey guys. Ready for some more Beyond the Blue Sky? Just make sure that when you're reading you remember that Fairy Tail and Warhammer are owned by Hiro Mashima, Weekly Shonen, and Funimation, and Games Workshop Respectively, and to keep supporting the official releases.

Chapter 4- Altered Paths

_Caution may be my shield to the unknown, but shields are a weapon that others are shown. His safety was of the greatest concern but it was a wall to the allies he'd earn._

Macao Conbolt was having a great time. He'd been knocking around Phantom Lord head's for the better part of fifteen minutes and the mooks just kept on coming. I have to admit, he pondered as tossed a man into a mob of his comrades, they've got guts. The battle raging around him showed no indications of dying down as the volunteers from Fairy Tail delivered their "message" with gusto.

The vast majority of the battle had been surprisingly one sided. The usual bruisers like Erza and Gray were terrifying as usual, but practically every member contributed heavily to the brawl. Macao almost believed that Mirajane, in her currently depowered state, would have been powerful enough to take down at least 10 phantom members on her own.

Laki Olietta stood by the front door, pinning down a pyromancer with her foot. Two vines coiled behind her, crushing a wizard each. Flanking her on each side were Fairy Tail's two gunmages. Alzack and Bisca were spraying bullets through the crowd. Macao was amazed by their abnormal display of accuracy. At least he hoped it was their accuracy. It must have been a miracle that only members of Phantom Lord were being put down by the hail of fire.

Levy was up to her normal antics, throwing giant words around. It took a great deal of creativity to use words like "disentangle, phlegmatic, and institutionalize" for offensive spells. Jet and Droy spent more time admiring her word than producing any results of their own.

But by far the most intimidating sight though had to be the squat little man striding unimpeded through the chaos and calmly walking up the stairs at the far end of the hall. Makarov hadn't so much as thrown a single punch because quite simply, he didn't need too. It was moments like these that helped to remind Macao why Makarov was the guild's authority.

"That man is a force of nature," he muttered as he watched the leader of Fairy Tail ascend the stairway. And speaking of forces of nature, Macao mused as he glanced around. Where has Natsu gotten too? His fellow pyromancer should've been easy to spot. From experience, Macao was well aware that subtlety wasn't in a fire-mage's wheelhouse. They tended to start and end fights like these with a bang but the lack of explosions and gleeful aplomb was disheartening.

"Gray, have you seen Natsu? Its not like him to miss this kind of party." The shirtless wizard dropped the man that he'd gotten in a chilly headlock and shrugged.

"So? Its his loss." Gray spun around and slammed the outside of his foot into an oncoming thug, dropping him instantly.

"You aren't the least bit worried about an angry Natsu getting loose in a densely populated area?" The young man paused and Macao could've sworn he saw a smirk in the corner of his mouth.

"I guess you're right and it's true that he wouldn't miss something like this for the world. Still, I'd better go look for him," he paused and looked towards the exit. "But only so he doesn't hurt anyone else," he added with a glance at Macao. With a wave, Gray turned around and sprinted off. Macao sighed.

"Well, that's taken care of," said aloud as he turned to see himself surround by surly men armed with a variety of weapons. "In the meantime, gentlemen, let's continue our discussion on Inter-guild affairs." As he spoke his hand began to take on a violet hue. "I never did get a chance to deliver my rebuttal."

Brunhilda found that her leg had fallen asleep. It isn't that surprising, she mused as she squatted in the rafters of Jose's office. The other members of her team maintained their positions, arraying themselves around, the spacious room. To her immediate left sat Quentin, clearly more at ease in the veritable forest of cross beams then she was. Quentin must have noticed her gaze because he lazily turned his head to face her.

"Anything I can do for you Hilda?" Despite the slow drawl of his voice, the man still possessed the bizarre sense of loyalty that he'd displayed over the years. It was hard to make out but Quentin would hang on Brunhilda's every word.

"Just keep focused, you lous. If Makarov is as dangerous as they say, then we need to act fast." Quentin chuckled.

"I can do fast my sweet. I just hope Mika can keep up." Brunhilda flashed a glare in the man's direction.

"You're one to talk. In my experience, that girl has proven herself thrice as competent as you." Quentin shrugged off her critique. It was getting more and more difficult to get under the squirrel-man's skin in recent years and Brunhilda found it infuriating for some reason.

"So…" Quentin began. "What's your take on the whole 'Gajeel' thing?" Brunhilda shook her head.

"He's gotten far too big for his own britches if you ask me." Quentin nodded in agreement. Their former teammate had never held any love for his allies and when the opportunity for advancement had presented itself, Gajeel had embraced it with gusto. Good riddance, Bruhilda thought to herself, that man was too stubborn and uncontrollable for my liking. Quentin smirked.

"What do you think the odds are he deviates from the plan?" Brunhilda shrugged.

"It doesn't matter, you let me worry bout Gajeel." Quentin gave the slim woman a look with pleading eyes.

"Come on, I can give you good odds. How about four to one says he breaks rank. If you're so sure of your ability to rein him in then it should be easy money." Brunhilda had to restrain herself from attacking her comrade, and instead found herself reaching into a pouch on her belt and tossing the irritable man two silver pieces, which he held between two fingers.

"Miss Hilda, is he coming or not?" The voice had reverberated through a splinter of wood that Brunhilda gripped in her left hand. Mika was situated just behind Jose's considerable desk so that she could maintain an illusion of the guild master until the right moment. Of course the illusion was broken as soon as she spoke but Brunhilda had been hopeful that a stoic Jose would be enough.

"Yes Mika, he's coming. Now stay quiet, when you speak the illusion falters." The splinter vibrated again as the young voice replied.

"Oops, sorry. We can't have a shimmery, wavey Jose can we?" Brunhilda sighed.

Hilda snapped back to attention as the steel twin doors to the office burst open and a short old man came striding through. Gajeel moved first, jumping from the ceiling right at the Fairy Tail guild master, who's suddenly massive hands swatted Gajeel away with minimal effort.

"That dummy is gonna ruin everything." Mika was visibly irritated at the dragon slayer. "I hate it when he does that. Hate Hate Hate!" Brunhilda gripped the splinter tight as she spoke. To her left, Quentin proceeded to pocket the coins she'd passed him with a look of smug satisfaction.

"Shh! you'll alert him to our presence. How much longer can you keep the illusion up?" Gajeel could probably last for a minute or two against Makarov. After all, he could turn his body to steel to prevent himself from getting too injured.

Gajeel steadied himself, and sprinted at Makarov, turning his arm into a steel blade. At that second, the look on the old man's face changed from indifference to anger. Hilda could hear the sound of Mika's head hitting her palm. Fairy Tail's Wizard Saint reared back his hand, and punched Gajeel in the face, as hard as he could. The Iron wizard went flying through the wooden wall, and remained motionless in on the ground outside.

"It isn't about how long I can keep this game up. It's about when Makawhatever realized it is an illusion. Quenty, is the master on the other line ready to talk?"

Quenton nodded and fished in his pocket for a second before pulling out another piece of wood, this one decorated with a purple skull. It had been the team's direct line to Jose for years. He tossed it to Brunhilda who caught it deftly and held it next to the other splinter.

While most of the conversation between the guild masters was inaudible, the signal was obvious. Makarov began yelling and looking around. "Where are you really hiding Jose! Stop being a coward and show yourself."

"There's a difference, old chum," the way he used the word made it sound like a term reserved for the lowest of the low, "between cowardice and control. I have always prefered the later, especially in our dealings."

Quentin sprinted silently along the wall, his tail bobbing behind him; the wood in the rafters changed with each step he took, giving him new footholds with which to get purchase. By the time Makarov realized his presence, it was too late. A blinding, green flash filled the room, and when the light cleared, the guild master was barely visible, as a tiny speck on the floor. Quenton stood above him, beaming. Suddenly, the guild master reappeared in his titan proportions, but his normal size. He looked almost comical like that. As Makarov punched Quenton in the stomach, he shattered, into a million crystals of ice. Meanwhile, the real Quenton was sneaking up the wall, not much larger that an ant. Mika smiled, and dispelled her illusion, as the ice trap Makarov had sprung worked its magic. The crystals began floating, and spun around the old man, dispelling both Quintin's curse and his own titan magic. And with a flash of light, the wizard was encased in a sculpture of ice. Faintly, Master Porla's laughter could be heard through every one of the wooden phones.

There was something strange about the woods right here. Between the giant crater and the charred trees, Gray was certain that Natsu was caught up in this somehow. He had been in the woods for quite a while, and this was the first sign that that idiot hadn't just forgotten about the "party." As Gray looked inside the crater, he gasped. Lying at the bottom was a young woman with blue hair, dressed in a formal blue outfit. The ice mage sighed. "I guess I'll need to deal with Natsu later."

When Juvia Lockser came to, she was in a very unfamiliar place. She was certainly not in the woods anymore. And she was moving! Not just that, but someone was carrying her. Instinctively, Juvia used her magic to turn into water and slip from her captors hands. She had practiced that move countless times, but in her hungry daze, she was unable to land on her feet, and fell to the ground. Rolling onto her back she braced herself and looked up to her captor.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry that I dropped you. Are you OK?"

Wait… Did he really ask if I was ok? In a sudden burst of clarity, Juvia sprung to her feet.

"Juvia is fine. Th-thank you for saving me…"

"It was no problem. I would never leave a woman like you lying there."

"L-like m-me?" Juvia's face was burning.

"Is it just me, or is this rain hot?."

"H-hot?" Juvia fainted.

Nicodemus was a man who valued one virtue above all others: loyalty. It was this quality that should've made him a perfect soldier, at least as far as Nicodemus' was concerned. To him, soldiers were men of action and reaction, not decision. So far be it from him to question his lord's decision to accompanying a pair of supposedly substantially powerful psykers back to their "guild" out of gratitude and to exchange pleasantries.

"A pence for your thoughts?" the sudden whispered would've made another man jump but Nic was not a man to be easily startled after his years of service. The source of the voice, Archimedes had slid up next to him as they walked a few steps behind the other five members of the party. Nic sighed before speaking.

"I don't know," he replied to the smaller man, keeping his voice low. "I just find it hard to trust these kids." Archimedes gave him a look of confusion.

"I didn't think you had a problem with psykers. Witches notwithstanding of course." The big man shrugged. It was true, as far as he was concerned if the Inquisition, the highest moral authority in the galaxy (apart from the Emperor himself of course) claimed to have a psyker in hand then who was he to argue?

"That's just it," he said. "How can we tell that these two aren't followers of Chaos themselves." Archimedes snorted.

"Then they'd probably be the most aesthetically pleasing rogue psykers that I've encountered in a long while." His grin grew a bit wider. "Especially the blonde one in the skirt." Nicodemus laughed. He'd always liked Archimedes. Despite the man's augmentations and his admittedly intrusive powers, there had always been something more honest about him compared others who shared his afflictions.

"I'll give you that I suppose but I don't see why we need to follow 'em back home for dinner with the family just because we did a good deed." Archimedes rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck a bit.

"Maybe that's just how things are done here Nic. Of course, it's not everyday that your life is saved by specimens such as ourselves." Nic frowned.

"I don't think so. Everyone we've met so far has been a psyker. That just doesn't happen in the real world...does it?" Archimedes shook his head.

"Not really, even at a conference of Inquisitors, not all of them would be psykers, especially ones of this caliber." Nicodemus knew the man well enough to know that he was worried. He tended to grip his walking stick a bit tighter when he was nervous or deep in thought and right now his knuckles were just a shade pale even for him. Another reason that Nicodemus had taken a liking to other man had been his intuition in a variety of matters. Well, if something has Arc worried, Nicodemus concluded, then I should probably be worried too. So Nic worried, for himself, for his friend and most importantly for his lord, the man to whom he'd sold his loyalty, walking a few steps ahead.

Natsu Dragneel did not have a complicated world view. In his opinion, people fell into three categories: friends, opponents, and strangers. Even people he met on the street were just friends he hadn't met yet. Opponents could become friends and friends opponents at the drop of a hat. However, these people were something different altogether.

To Natsu, strangers weren't just people he didn't immediately know, but rather they were people who acted...well, strangely. It had been quite a while since Natsu had decided anyone was a stranger; even the monsters on Galuna Island were not that off-putting. These people who'd rescued Lucy though, they broke the streak.

"So Mr. Oberon," Lucy began after a long period of silence. "What was it you said you did again?" The man with brownish hair looked at Natsu's teammate with a strange look. It was one Natsu had seen before in opponents that had only just noticed him hurling towards them from an unexpected angle.

"Oh, I don't...think I did. Either way, I'm in what you could call acquisitions." Lucy raised an eyebrow.

"So you're a businessman?" Her tone was hard to place. Oberon glanced at his own female companion who simply shrugged in response.

"I suppose," he said. Lucy seemed to slouch a bit. For whatever reason, it hadn't been the answer she'd wanted to hear.

"Oh, my father is a businessman." Natsu found himself glaring at the first man out of instinct. He wasn't quite sure what it was but he wasn't sure that he liked him. But they had saved Lucy so it was probably worth it to at least be polite.

"So, are you guys members of some guild where you're from?" Before Oberon could answer, the woman walking beside him spoke up.

"Not exactly, we're free agents." Natsu sighed. The thing about strangers was that it was usually pretty simple for them to become friends or opponents. He just had to get to know them better. With this group it was hard. They were...guarded. Lucy tried to press the issue but the others remained quiet about it.

Eventually the group reached their destination, the train stop at a small village whose name Natsu had forgotten. However, upon seeing the train station and the tracks, the slightly smaller man in the red cloak seemed to perk up.

"This is fascinating," he exclaimed as he shuffled ahead of the group and began to observe the tracks up close. "Despite all evidence to the contrary, this region maintains a fully functional ground transportation system based upon these tracks." Lucy frowned as she approached behind the man.

"You mean the trains? Yeah, don't they have them up north?" To Natsu's surprise, Oberon slid up beside her.

"Of course we have trains; why wouldn't we have trains?" As he spoke, the man was scratching the back of his head. "Edric just has a head for machines of any kind. You could say that they're sort of like a hobby to him." The red robed man turned back to face the other man but from Natsu's position it was difficult to read the man's face under the thick red hood. Before either man could speak, the oldest member of the group, the wizard who'd called himself Arch shuffled forward.

"Either way, I'm just glad to see something that'll take me off these creaky legs. Do the cars run on a schedule or is it more chaotic?" Lucy shook her head.

"No, they have a schedule. If I'm not mistaken the station should be just down the track from here. Then we should be able to see how long it could take."

Natsu glanced at Oberon. He was definitely the leader in of their party. If he wanted to make conversation with any of them, he was the one to start with.

"So Oberon… What do they have to eat up north?"

From his shoulder, Happy chimed in. There is an ocean up north, right? I wonder what kinds of cool new fish they have." The cat looked at Oberon and his pose expectantly. Oberon scratched the back of his head again before answering.

"Well we've got these fish, right? There small, and they cook easily so we use them in lots of dishes." The flying cat's eyes seemed to shimmer in fascination and Natsu could've sworn that if he didn't know better then the cats' eyes had literally grown.

"They sound delicious." His voice carried a dreamy quality.

"Quite," this had been the older man, Archimedes. Of the group, he seemed the most open, though that was like saying Grey would win a brooding contest against a school of particularly well adjusted children. Natsu decided to press the subject, food had a way of opening folks up.

"So what's you favorite food old timer?" The old man scratched at the scraggly growth on his chin.

"Well if you twist my arm, then I would have say that Ambull steak is probably my favorite." Lucy frowned for a moment.

"What do you mean 'ambull?' Are they anything like regular cows?" The others, save Edric who was still busy 'observing' the railroad, shared a look and eventually it was Oberon who spoke.

"It's a specific breed. Ambull steak is a delicacy on Arc's…" Oberon paused, "hometown."

"Well if it's anything like regular steak then I'm sure I'd love it." Natsu's eyes glazed over. "All this food talk is making me hungry. Lets have a big meal when we get back!"

Edric called out from behind the group. "There is no third rail, so there needs to be a locomotive! I would love to see how trains here move."

A wave of nausea rushed over the dragon slayer and he doubled over in pain. "Never mind. I'm not hungry any more."

Lucy sighed with relief as she heard the telltale whistle of the train and saw the plume of smoke as it rounded the bend and steamed into the station. Ever since joining Fairy Tail, the train had been a symbol of normalcy. Despite whatever shenanigans her team got into while dealing with the outside world, every mission ended with boarding the train bound for Magnolia Town, the guild and her cozy apartment.

That said, Lucy felt slightly different this time. She wasn't returning from a mission but from a kidnapping. Two men, powerful wizards from a prestigious (for lack of a better word) guild, had attacked and subdued her to complete a mission. And Lucy was starting to figure out why. Kidnappings were not a new subject for the young woman. As the daughter of one of Fiore's most powerful industrialists, she'd been targeted before for such clandestine activities but every man who'd been hired for the task had been foiled. Eventually, around eight years ago, the kidnappings had stopped after one had finally been "successful." Her father had sent assassins after her captors rather than pay her ransom at the risk of her own life. He said that the ransom would have been a "bad investment" and encourage more kidnapping attempts. As dumb as his plan was, it worked as intended.

As terrible as Phantom Lord was, they were still a legal guild. Therefore, there was only one person who could have gotten away with orchestrating this debacle: her father. Jude Heartfilia was rich enough to make something this morally ambiguous worth it for any guild. But that conclusion only made her more confused. As she reminisced about her past, the train pulled into the station and the group piled into the open car. Luckily it seemed to be empty so they took up a pair of booths.

"Why now?" she muttered under her breath as she took her seat across from Edric and the woman who'd called herself Moira. Natsu was too busy bracing himself for the upcoming train ride to notice, but Happy gave her an odd look. However, he apparently decided not to pursue it any further. Their new companions were mostly indifferent to her stress, which in all honesty wasn't that surprising. After all, why should new acquaintances care about her mental state and family history?

Moira Quotes had been taught many lessons in preparation to become a full seneschal in service to the House of Albrecht, most of them had been taught by her father.

"The most important lesson of being a seneschal," he'd taught her one morning, "isn't about trade profits or statistics. It's about reading people. Figure out a person's tell, Moira and they're yours." Watching the young woman across from her, it was clear that there was something up. Reading her body language was difficult, if only because the young woman was obviously exhausted from her ordeal. But beneath that Moria noticed a sense of worry and apprehension that had nothing to do with her current situation. Maybe it was the way she constantly kept glancing at the tattoo on her hand (a mark which the pink-haired psyker also bore), or maybe it was the manner in which she brushed the hair behind her ear, but it was clear that the young woman's mind was elsewhere. And that elsewhere was not a place she wanted to be.

Moria felt bad for her and resolved to ask the young woman about what was troubling her but stopped herself. Moira had never been much of a people person, a poor trait for a seneschal, and she often found it hard to speak her mind to others outside of her immediate acquaintance. Instead she found herself falling back on another lesson that her father had taught about timeliness. Moira resolved to talk to the young woman but when she felt it would be best prudent. In the meantime, the landscape blurred past the train as it sped towards their destination.

A somber expression washed over Mirajane's face as Erza finished her report. The most troubling part was that fairy tail's healer Porliusca was unsure about how long the Master would need to wait to be healed. Levy and her team had completed their recovery, and Mirajane had no reason to doubt the healers competence, but the urgency of the situation was frustrating the normally calm wizard. To make matters worse, she couldn't reach Gildarts or Laxus and his team. Fairy Tail's last S class wizard, Mystogan, said he would come as soon as he finished his "business". His nonchalant methods sometime just really got on her nerves.

"Which leaves us with the matter of the immediate future. Do you have any suggestions?" The question roused Mirajane from her annoyance. Erza was looking at the other woman expectantly. The two women were currently standing in the guildmaster's office apart from the others.

"Oh, well I guess we take care of what we can. How are the wounded doing?" Ezra shrugged.

"Apart from the guild master, we didn't have many wounded. Nab has a few bruised ribs and Max has his arm in a sling but we'll be at fighting capacity if need be." Mirajane shuddered. She wasn't worried about defending the guild but she hoped it wouldn't come to it. Before she had a chance to reply though, the door opened and Macao stepped in. He nodded at both of the women before speaking.

"I think we may have a slight problem. I've taken a head count of the guild and we have a few missing." Erza sighed and pinched the brim of her nose between her fingers.

"It's Natsu isn't it? He never came back from the attack. I swear that guy is going to be the…" Before she could finish her tirade, Macao held up a hand.

"Yeah, Natsu's gone but I don't think he was ever at the attack to begin with. I sent out Gray to find him but apparently he found nothing." Mirajane cocked her head to the side.

"So Gray is here?" Macao nodded.

"Yeah, he's outside, shirtless as usual." Mirajane frowned for a moment before speaking.

"So what's the matter. Natsu will turn up eventually...wait, you said we're missing people, as in more than one." Macao nodded soberly.

"Yeah, that's why I'm worried. Nobody's seen Lucy since this morning when she checked in on Levy. Added to that, one of my guys in town told me about some shady fellas staying at the inn last night. The descriptions they gave matched two members of the Element Four." Erza frowned. While Macao was at best a decent mage, one of his true talents was gathering and processing information. He tended to have a few informants in most of the cities the guild dealt with and they were always dependable.

"I'm starting to think that things aren't exactly what they appear to be." Before the others could respond, a familiar crash resounded through the office and Mirajane smiled.

"Whatever the case, I think we'll be able to put few more pieces together very shortly."

Oberon had to admit that the Fairy Tail Guild Hall wasn't what he'd been expecting at all. The main hall was filled with men and women sitting around a number of long wooden table, many of them nursing what looked like flagons of ale. Well thank the Emperor they've mastered distilling spirits, he thought to himself as he surveyed the scene, I could very well need some before this is through. Surprisingly, the vast majority of what he assumed were the guild's members were rather young, very few seemed to be older than Arc.

All that said, Oberon didn't have much time to admire the guild hall since the entire room fell silent as soon as the doors closed behind them. The first person to speak was a young shirtless man with a shock of indigo hair on his head.

"Natsu? Where the hell have you been?" The pink-haired young man, who'd been standing just to the side of Oberon smiled broadly and stalked forward. Somehow, from what Oberon could tell, there was no warmth in that smile.

"And why should I tell you, Gray?" The shirtless man, Gray apparently, stood up and stared the other man down.

"Because I had to spent a very good chunk of my day looking for your sorry ass in the woods around Oak Town. Did you just get lost or something?" At this point, Natsu was directly in front of the other young man, though one wouldn't necessarily recognize that based on the volume of his voice. Oberon shifted his weight a bit, he was worried that this could get violent.

"For your information Ice Boy, I was busy helping to rescue Lucy from…" He paused and turned around to face the group. "Hey, who were those guys again?" Lucy sighed and rubbed her temples.

"This is getting ridiculous. I was kidnapped by a couple of creeps from Phantom Lord, and these guys rescued me." As she spoke, she walked forward and gestured in Oberon's general direction. She sighed. "And yes, Natsu did show up to help. Even if he was a bit late." At this a man at the bar, with a pipe in his mouth raised an eyebrow.

"So wait these guys rescued from Phantom Lord?" Oberon raised his hand to reply but before he could answer the door on the far side of the hall opened revealing a blue haired man in a long white coat flanked by a pair of very attractive young women, one with red hair and the other with white.

"They didn't just take down some goons from Phantom Lord," said the man. "They took down two of the most powerful wizards in the country." He folded his arms across his chest as his gaze bored into Oberon. "I think we need to have a word about that."

A few moments later, Oberon, and his crew as well as Natsu, Lucy, Gray and the three others were all jammed into the tiny office behind the doors. The two groups, Oberon's crew and the guild members quickly gravitated to opposite sides of the room. The blue-haired man, who'd introduced himself as Macao sat directly in front of Oberon. The first one to speak was the white-haired young woman.

"Gray why did you come in here?" Gray shook his head.

"If it concerns my team then it concerns me, end of story." The woman simply smiled before nodding at Macao who spoke.

"Okay, so you rescued our friend Lucy from a pair of S-class wizards. Can I presume that they are both dead?" Nic spoke up from just behind Oberon.

"You can." Oberon held up his hand and the bodyguard fell silent.

"What he means to say is yes. We ended up utilizing lethal force to rescue your associate." The red-haired young woman frowned and leaned forward.

"That's impossible," she said. "Those men were highly trained wizards of Phantom Lord. There are only 10 or so other wizards who could've beaten them in all of Fiore. And I am familiar with all of them." Good, so we know this region is called Fiore. The voice in his head confirmed to Oberon that Archimedes had established another telepathic link. He mentally thanked him before speaking.

"I'm not here to debate the efficacy of our killing two men. Lucy asked myself and my associates to escort her back to your protection." The red-haired woman folded her armored arms across her chest.

"And so you did. I suppose thanks are in order." Macao nodded and spoke up.

"That said, in my estimation we should probably know your name so we can thank you properly." Oberon smiled. He was beginning to like this Macao; he had a good head on his shoulders.

"I'm Oberon, this is my crew. Nicodemus is my bodyguard, Moira is my seneschal and Archimedes and Edric are advisors." The red-haired woman nodded curtly.

"I'm Erza Scarlet, that's Mirajane," she indicated the white-haired woman who smiled at him briefly. "We're the S-class wizards around here." Macao leaned back in the chair he sat in.

"What that means right now is that the ladies can back up just about anything I happen to say in the next few minutes. But now that that's taken care of. Where're you from Oberon?" This guy has guts, I like that, Arc observed through the link. Oberon smiled a bit before he spoke.

"We're from up North." Almost immediately the blue-haired youth, Gray spoke up. Up until now, he'd been leaning silently against the wall, watching the proceedings.

"No you aren't." Archimedes looked at the boy as if sizing him up and chuckled.

"And how would you know that lad?" Gray grinned.

"The accent is all wrong. I'm from a place up North called Iceberg, and your voice doesn't sound like anything I've heard." Archimedes laughed and stepped back, glancing at his former pupil. Well, this just got interesting, his voice echoed in Oberon's mind. Any thoughts? Before Oberon had a chance to respond, the walls shook with significant force.

"What are you interrogating them for?" An increasingly familiar and surprisingly comforting voice shouted from across the room, accompanied by a gust of warm air. Natsu had slammed his fist into the side of the room and was glaring directly at what Oberon could only assume was his friends. His other hand, meanwhile had burst into burst into brilliantly orange flames, which appeared to have little effect on the young man's health. Erza tried to speak up.

"Natsu…" She was only able to utter a single word before the inflamed young man continued.

"No, this isn't fair. These guys risked their lives to rescue Lucy and they haven't said a word about repaying them." The other five members of the guild seemed to be speechless. Well I should say we don't have a want for allies came the voice in Oberon's head. I'm beginning to like this young man's...enthusiasm. Across the room, Oberon noticed the way that Lucy was smiling at her teammate. That said, continued the voice, I don't think she'll be that kind of ally. Nic will be so disappointed. Oberon chuckled under his breath. The young woman certainly looked like she was spoken for. In short time, the three behind the table began to relax their posture and eventually Macao shrugged and grinned back at Oberon and his crew.

"Ah, hell the kid's right. Who am I to pry into a man's secrets? I'm sure you have your reasons to keep quiet. We'll sort things out in due time but for now, please accept our thanks and our heartfelt gratitude."

It was Mirajane who spoke next. "I agree with Natsu and Macao. We can work out our differences later. For now, lets move on to other things. You said that you used lethal force. You don't really mean that you…" She trailed off and Oberon could no longer hear what she was saying.

The redhead picked up where Mirajane left off. "What she meant to say was that if you really did use lethal force, we have mountains of paperwork to go through together. In addition, we can expect some sort of retaliation by Phantom Lord. I assume you have nowhere to stay. We can give you board here, and work on those forms and tactics tomorrow morning."

I like the swordswoman. Nic thinks she seems like she'd make a good soldier and you can never have enough of those, Archimedes transmitted with a sense of appraisal. Oberon tried his best to nod without making it evident. He was fairly certain that he failed.

She wears plate armor to a diplomatic meeting and has a short sword on her hip. Something tells me that she's already quite the warrior, the only reaction he received was what Oberon could only perceive was a sense of endless mirth. Erza continued.

"Oh yes, and Lucy? Natsu, Gray, and I are sleeping at your place tonight. We need to be more vigilant than ever after what happened." The room immediately erupted into chaos as four voices began to shout over each other.

"Oh Yeah! Party at Lucy's!"

"You better not trash the place!"

"Don't I have any say in this?"

"I hope she has a lot of fish!"

"Why would I keep around- You know what? Never mind!" Eventually, the argument moved outside and the crew was left with only Macao and Mirajane. Edric alternated glancing at the now open door and the other two guild members.

"If I may, is it always like this?" Macao sighed and rested his elbows on the desk.

"You could say that," he stood up and stretched a bit before looking at the crew. "Do any of you folks drink?" Nic erupted into laughter before speaking.

"Sir, I would drink a sea dry if it had the kick of amsec." Macao grinned.

"I think you'll fit in here just fine for the moment."

Lucy had had it with her teams bickering. They were being much too loud and Erza fast asleep and oblivious to their antics. If her landlady found out that she was rooming with others, she could get a huge fine.

The spirit mage brought her hands to her keyring and took a deep breath. The day had been nothing if not bipolar, but despite her friends entertaining antics in the evening, she could not get her suspicions out of her mind. It had to be her father. He was the only one who could orchestrate such a sinister scheme, and there was no way he would be content without completing his objective. She needed to tell her teammates the truth.

Looking up, Natsu and Gray's antics had awoken Erza and she was holding both boys by their collars. She tried to raise her voice to get their attention, but it came out wavering.

"He...hey guys, can I talk to you guys for a second?" Her unsteady tone was met by four pairs of worried eyes. "I have a confession to make, and this is all my fault," the thoughts seemed to just pour out of her mouth before she had a chance to catch herself. "What happened to Levy and the Guild Hall and the Master were all because of me." Lucy could barely breathe.

From across the room, Gray spoke up. "Take a deep breath. Why is it your fault?" Lucy inhaled and exhaled before speaking.

"My full name is Lucy Heartfilia. My father is Jude Heartfilia, one of the richest men in the nation." Natsu frowned and scratched his head.

"So what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be doing...I don't know...rich people things?" Erza shot a glare in his direction.

"Be quiet Natsu. I'm sure Lucy has her reasons for why she's here." Lucy felt her cheeks warm and looked down a bit.

"It's a long story, I wouldn't want to bore you." Gray scoffed.

"It's not like we're hurting for time."

Taking his implicit advice, Lucy began to retell the story of her childhood, from the death of her mother, and her father becoming cold and distant, to her decision to run away from home. "So I think that he commissioned Phantom Lord to come after me and everything else is my…"

Lucy's train of thought was shattered by a crashing sound. Across the room, Natsu's hand was stuck through the wall. "Don't even think of blaming yourself. Fairy Tail is your family now. We are all here to protect you." Gray was smiling gently next to Natsu.

"We will make Phantom Lord pay for their actions."

"And there is no way we will let you father have his way," Erza added. "Especially if he's resorting to violence to retrieve you. He won't be able to touch you, not while Fairy Tail has your back."

Lucy wiped tears from her eyes that she didn't know were there. "Thanks guys. You are all…such great friends."

From the other side of the wall, she heard an unfamiliar, elderly voice. "Honey, was this hole in the wall always there?"

"I've never seen it before, was it here before we went to the theatre?" The first voice replied.

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking you. What should we do about it?"

"We can tell the landlady in the morning."

Suddenly, Lucy found herself laughing. "Well Natsu, you can start by paying to repair that hole you punched."

Author's Notes:

**Hey boys and girls. Photomancy here. Welcome to the return of Beyond the Blue Sky! I apologize for our summer hiatus, but can you really blame us for not being productive over summer break. (Hint: You can't)**

_In all actuality, it turns out that it's particularly difficult to coordinate our efforts when we are on opposite sides of the United States. I tried smoke signals a few times but wind currents get to be a real drag around 50,000 feet. Oh and I'm AdeptusAdvocate, in case you forgot._

**So moving on to thoughts about writing the chapter. Because thats what we do here. Writing. I think. Its been a long summer.**

_What's there to say? As much as we don't like it, our first chapter following an unannounced hiatus is more or less filler._ **Well not exactly filler from my perspective.** _ I suppose, we do get to see the crew (our official term for the collective OC's) interact with the guild at large and the Four Forces got a chance to shine. I'm liking Quenton in particular._ **And fight scenes. Flashy Shounen Fight Scenes.** _And we got to see some of what we plan for Macao in terms of character progression._ _That'll be important moving forward. _** And EXPLOSIONS. Lots of explosions AND SENTENCE FRAGMENTS AND RUN ONS.**

**Specifically, I planned out the trap scene as my first experience in choreographing a fight scene. The scene also served as one of the early introductions to my first couple of OCs, including developing their personalities and abilities. We also worked with a bit of in medias res storytelling by skipping all of that pesky stuff like scene changes between the end of the last chapter and the inevitable raid on Phantom Lord. I even got to throw in a touching scene at the end.**

**To my comments, certain Fairy Tail OCs will gain plot importance. In addition, my frame of reference for canon characters in this story in the end of the Grand Magic Games Arc. Everything revealed after that, if it conflicts with what I have already planned, it will not be in this story's fanon. Say they announce the Wizard Saints more powerful than Jura (like they have for one of them). I already wrote my own for one or more of them. Therefore, I might use the canon ones or I might pretend they don't exist. I will not kill off an OC because canon has made him impossible, since I am not writing this to make predictions of canon.**

_On the topic of Macao though, you may have noticed that we have given him some extra responsibilities in this chapter. We know full well that Macao doesn't have anything to do with intel in the anime/manga but quite honestly we feel that a lot of the supporting cast of Fairy Tail are underutilized. This is endemic of a bigger criticism of the series which is that there is practically no worldbuilding. Outside of plot or arc important exposition, there is no indication of what the larger world of Earthland is like or even how the other guild members spend their time. And we wanted to change that._ **However, one thing the series does well is the creation of unique, interesting, and engaging characters. Therefore, a goal of ours is to end the criminal underutilization of as many characters as we can.**

**In all honesty, we had a good time writing this chapter, even if we ended up being a bit inconsistent. Getting back into the College swing of things is always awkward. That said, we should be getting back to a "regular" schedule very soon. Though I will say this: one of the reasons we were slow to update after getting together was that we couldn't stop ourselves from spitballing ideas and we really hooked a live one. We still intend for Beyond to be our primary focus but suffice to say we've got something really exciting coming down the pipe. Here's a little hint: we've (read he has)** _been listening to a little bit of jazz and a little bit of thrash these days._

**Now to celebrate our return, we have three lists. A top 10 and two top 5s I love lists. And talking. First up is top 10 things we did over the summer (excluding writing the fanfic.)**

**1. Discovered a secret gold mine.**

_2. Attempted to cut our partner out of the casino we were opening in Vegas, only to have his friends steal our fortune out from under us. _** Isn't that the plot of Ocean's Something or other?** _They say fiction mimics real life._ ** Sorry Dom, it just wasn't in the cards. **

**3. Started our own mildly unsuccessful hitman organization.** _Sorry Dom, it just wasn't in the cards. Good thing we took our money up front though._

_4. Created our own brand of cell phone cases...for the iPhone 2. We did not think that one through_

**5. Drank 30 five hour energies simultaneously in an attempt to watch shounen literally non-stop for 150 hours.**

_5a. Called an ambulance to revive somebody whose heart has stopped from across the country._ **I got through 7 I think. Or that might have been me hallucinating in the ambulance. Don't try this at home kids.**

_6. Went on an incredibly fulfilling journey of self-discovery and life actualization._ ** Wait, when were you at Chile's? Didn't I tell you to stay clear of those? ** _I don't tell you everything about my life._

**8. Organized my possessions.** _(I thought this was only supposed to be impossible things._ **Yes.)**

_9. Did a head count for my split personalities. It turns out I was never crazy to begin with. Isn't that another hint for the new story idea? Is it Sigfried, I hadn't noticed?_ **(And that is why a marble countertop is not a substitute for a doctor. Still, Sig is not nearly as bad as they come. At least he isn't Warner...)**

**10. Erected a shrine to Thragtar, Lord of Object Permanence.** _He knows where your keys are._ _Always._ ** It's actually a pretty weak power once you think about it.** _Fun fact: Thragtar was originally a god of the Phoenicians and ancient Canaanites, but the Catholic Church repurposed him into Saint Anthony._

**Photo's top 5 goals in life.**

**1. Rule the world. Failing that, a country.** _ I demand to be Secretary of the Interior._ **Of what country?** _I don't care so long as I get to oversee the...inside of it...ewww._

**2. Make a cameo in the movie of the bestseller that I wrote while president.** _Dibs on adapting the screenplay into Polish! If you really want to- wait._ ** Why Polish? Do you even speak it?** _No._

**3. Make a Homestuck crossover. LucyxKarkat FTW.**

**4. Stage my assassination so I can get a giant memorial.** _I would do that just to attend my own funeral._

**5. Appoint Stephen Colbert Vice President.** _ An excellent choice. Might I suggest installing a Doom Bunker in the White House._

_AdeptusAdv's top 5 Western Comic Series (currently running or otherwise):_** I don't get the joke...**  
_5. Wolverine and the X-men (current run) by Jason Aaron. Happiness distilled, bottled and mixed with Cola._

_4. Batman by Scott Snyder. OMG, he's not brooding all the damn time! _**This isn't funny… I mean it's like everything else you say but now you're not even trying.**

_3. Nextwave by Warren Ellis. Homicide Crabs! That is all._

_2. American Vampire, also by Scott Snyder. Altering the core theme of vampirism from the allure of sexuality into a metaphor for continental identity and an introspective focus on Americana through the ages...freakin' brilliant._** Thanks professor. NOW WHERE IS THE JOKE!**

_1. Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross. It is one of my goals in life to write a character who feels as real as Reverend Norman McCay. _**Hehehe. Come… I get it. It took you long enough. Needs less buildup.**

_Lastly, it is my turn to chose the song of the chapter. When I think of the themes of this chapter, one song that continuously comes to mind is Streetlight Manifesto's "The Hand That Thieves." Here is a URL. watch?v=7mIV6ADAnnk_

**Anyway, once again, thanks for reading. Particularly reading our antics, if you have come this far.**

**We think we can do this next one in under 3 weeks.**

_Yeah, we really can't say it enough. Thanks for sticking with us on this wacky journey. See you next update!_


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